Three former Memphis police officers were found guilty of federal felonies on Oct. 3 in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old black man who died after being beaten by police during a traffic stop last year. Nichols was beaten, pepper sprayed, and shocked with a stun gun by five police officers—who were all black—during the incident in Memphis, Tennessee, on Jan. 7, 2023. He succumbed to his injuries three days later.
The convicted officers—Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Bean, and Justin Smith—were found guilty of witness tampering to cover up Nichols’s fatal beating, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Haley was also convicted of violating Nichols’s civil rights causing bodily injury and conspiracy to witness tampering, but was acquitted of the most severe charge of civil rights violations causing death, which carried a potential life sentence. Bean and Smith, on the other hand, were acquitted of all civil rights charges.
The trio faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for their offenses, with sentencing set for January 2025.
In a related development, two other former officers involved in the case, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., pleaded guilty to federal charges and testified that Nichols did not pose a threat during the incident.
Attorneys representing the Nichols family welcomed the verdicts, stating that they send a strong message that law enforcement officers who commit crimes will be held accountable under the law. They emphasized that while nothing can bring Nichols back, the guilty verdicts provide a measure of accountability for his tragic death.
Despite the convictions, the fight for justice for Nichols continues, with the five officers also facing second-degree murder charges in Tennessee state court. A trial date for the state case has not been determined.
Nichols’s death was ruled a homicide due to blunt force trauma to the head, including rotational brain injury and brain bleeding, as well as extensive blunt force injuries to his neck, arms, legs, and torso. Prosecutors revealed that a medical responder testified that had they known Nichols’ injuries were caused by head strikes, they would have altered their care significantly.
During the trial, officers claimed Nichols was driving dangerously and sped up to beat a red light, prompting the traffic stop.
Reuters contributed to this report.
