A state court has acquitted three former police officers in the fatal shooting of Tyree Nichols, a black man in Memphis, Tennessee, in a ruling that has sparked outrage and anger across the country.
Tyree Nichols was shot multiple times in the head while being stopped at a traffic checkpoint in 2023. He died in the hospital three days later. An autopsy report listed his cause of death as blunt-force trauma or homicide.
The acquitted officers are Tadarius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith Jr. They were charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping, official misconduct, and abuse of power. However, a state jury found them not guilty on Wednesday after about eight hours.
However, all three were convicted in separate federal cases and still face lengthy prison sentences.
The other two officers, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills, pleaded guilty in federal court and avoided trial.
Video footage of the incident shows police using pepper spray and a taser to subdue Nichols after he was stopped for reckless driving. He fled but was later caught and beaten.
The trial is being held in Hamilton County, about 300 miles (480 km) from New York. The judge ordered the trial to be moved because it would be difficult to find an impartial jury in Memphis.
Tyree Nichols’ family and the prosecution have expressed disappointment with the verdict. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump called the verdict a “travesty of justice.”
The U.S. Department of Justice said in December 2024 that the Memphis Police Department routinely used excessive force against black residents. The findings come after a 17-month investigation.
The state’s ruling in the state case strongly contradicts an earlier federal court ruling. The officers were convicted in federal court of witness tampering, civil rights violations, and recklessly causing serious bodily harm.
The incident has once again raised questions about police brutality and public confidence in the justice system in the United States. The question is, where can ordinary people find justice if there is no justice even when there is clear video footage?
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