3 ex-officers convicted in federal civil rights violation trial of Tyre Nichols

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC/Gray News) - A jury returned a mixed verdict for three former Memphis police officers accused of federal civil rights violations in Tyre Nichols’ Jan. 7, 2023 traffic stop that resulted in his death.

Former officers Justin Smith, Tadarrius Bean, and Demetrius Haley, were accused of federal civil rights violations against Tyre Nichols.

After six hours of deliberation Thursday, the jury found all three officers guilty of witness tampering.

Bean and Smith were acquitted of civil rights charges. Haley was acquitted of violating Nichols’ civil rights causing death, but was convicted of the lesser charge of violating his civil right causing bodily injury.

Following the jury’s verdict, all three defendants were taken into custody by US Marshals. The judge will discuss the motion for their release on Monday. A sentencing date is set for January 22.

Smith, Haley and Bean all pleaded not-guilty to using excessive force, failing to intervene and trying to cover up evidence following Nichols’ arrest.

Former officers Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., also charged in the case, previously pleaded guilty and both testified against their former colleagues.

All five men are also charged with second-degree murder. A state trial will commence upon the federal trial’s conclusion.

All five former officers were members of the since-disbanded SCORPION Unit, a specialized 50-person unit made up of three components: crime suppression, auto theft task force and gang prevention.

The prosecution argued that Nichols, 29, posed no threat to the SCORPION officers, who pulled him over for reckless driving at Ross and Raines Roads in Southeast Memphis on Jan. 7, 2023.

Officers approached Nichols’ blue Nissan Sentra at gunpoint and struggled to pull him from the car.

After being tased and pepper-sprayed, Nichols would run in the direction of his parents’ house less than a quarter-mile away on Castlegate Lane, where backup officers would find and tackle him.

The officers from the initial traffic stop would eventually catch up to the second scene, where the struggle to detain Nichols continued.

Before handcuffs were successfully applied, Nichols would suffer multiple kicks and punches to the head, as seen on SkyCop and body camera footage, and according to Mills’ and Martin’s testimonies. He was also batoned and pepper-sprayed a second time.

The paramedic who treated Nichols on the scene said he found the 29-year-old in full cardiac arrest, battered and bloody.

An ambulance rushed Nichols to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition. He never regained consciousness and died at the hospital three days later on Jan. 10, 2023.

The paramedic and hospital staff testified that none of the officers were truthful about what happened to their patient.

Prosecutors claimed the codefendants violated Nichols’ rights and multiple department policies beginning at the police pursuit, citing video evidence, report documents, witness statements, and officer testimony.

The defense argued that their clients didn’t know whether or not Nichols was armed since he hadn’t been searched. They said the officers had to consider him a dangerous suspect since there was “no such thing as a routine traffic stop,” especially for the SCORPION Unit.

According to testimony in court, several officers were under the impression that Nichols was high since he withstood being tased and sprayed and was “extremely strong” for his size.

The defense told the jury that this was the most difficult arrest the SCORPION officers ever made.

Attorneys argued the former officers followed their training and escalated their force appropriately because Nichols was combative and noncompliant.

But federal prosecutors argued deadly force was unwarranted, and that all the officers violated policy by failing to render medical aid after Nichols was handcuffed.

Instead, the officers were heard laughing and reminiscing about the assault in video evidence. Former officer Haley also stood over Nichols and sent “a trophy photo” to six people, some of whom testified.

Prosecutors also argued that the now-former officers knew what they did was wrong because they exaggerated Nichols’ resistance and even made up facts in official follow-up reports and interviews.

The prosecution claimed the defendants conspired to cover up the beating and that, at every turn, each former officer lied when they had the opportunity to tell the truth.

Closing arguments concluded Wednesday evening. Testimony wrapped up Monday, September 30, after 28 witnesses took the stand.

The trial lapsed 19 days.

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