MEMPHIS, Tenn. 鈥� A federal jury has convicted three former Memphis police officers of some federal civil rights violations and found them not guilty of others in the 2023 beating death of Black motorist .
Fired Memphis police detectives Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith were all convicted of obstruction of justice and witness tampering. They were also found not guilty of depriving Nichols鈥� of his civil rights resulting in death 鈥� the harshest charge they faced. Haley was found guilty of depriving Nichols of his civil rights and deliberate indifference resulting in serious bodily injury.
Members of Nichols鈥� family say they鈥檙e pleased with the convictions, and hope it sends a message that police officers can be held accountable for their actions.
Key evidence was graphic that showed five officers, all also Black, delivering what federal prosecutors called a 鈥渂eatdown,鈥� as they repeatedly punched, kicked, used police batons and pepper spray on Nichols . It also showed officers seemingly bragging about the beating as Nichols gasps for his life on the pavement.
During closing arguments this week, federal prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert said the officers didn鈥檛 count on surveillance video catching what happened when they thought no one was watching.
She urged jurors to trust their eyes. 鈥淵ou saw the punches. You saw the kicks. You saw the baton strike,鈥� Gilbert said. She also emphasized how Nichols had his hands in front of his face to protect himself as he called out for his mother 鈥� who lived just a block away.
Two of the ex-officers, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills, Jr., and . They said Nichols, who weighed 175 pounds, did not pose a real threat to the five policemen.
Nichols, , died three days after the beating, and the coroner determined it was a homicide from blunt force trauma.
At the trial, which began Sept. 9, defense lawyers argued that it was a high-risk traffic stop and officers acted within MPD policy after Nichols ran a red light and failed to stop when pursued by police. They said officers escalated their use of force after Nichols ran from them despite being tased and pepper-sprayed.
Officers were trying 鈥渢o arrest someone who was doing everything but complying,鈥� Bean鈥檚 attorney, John Keith Perry said during closing arguments. 鈥淲hen a person runs from you they鈥檙e trying to escape custody,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was not unreasonable force.鈥�
鈥淚s there a constitutional right to run from police?鈥� asked lawyer Martin Zummach, who represents Smith.
The officers were part of the Memphis Police Department鈥檚 鈥� created to root out street crime in Memphis, and known for aggressive policing tactics. They were fired and the unit was disbanded after Nichols was killed. They were .
Outside court on Thursday before the verdicts were announced, resident Paula Buress was holding a handmade cardboard sign with Tyre Nichols' name on it. She says local activists like her have tried for years to bring attention to police tactics in Memphis.
"It just corroborates everything we've been saying for a long time. The victims. We don't want to become complacent and forget about this long journey that we're on," Burress said. "It's just going to take a while before we can finally see if there's going to be a change in Memphis.鈥�
Nichols鈥� death has amplified calls for police reform, and sparked the U.S. Justice Department to launch what鈥檚 known as a looking at, among other things, the Memphis Police Department鈥檚 use of force, and whether officers engage in discriminatory policing.
Jurors deliberated nearly six hours before returning the verdicts. The ex-policemen will be sentenced in January. They also face state murder charges.
WKNO's Katie Riordan contributed reporting.
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