Tyre Nichols death: Ex-police officers found not guilty of murdering motorist in US
Mr Nichols's family are said to be "devastated" and "outraged" after Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were acquitted of state charges over his death in January 2023.
Wednesday 7 May 2025 23:19, UK
Three former police officers have been cleared of murdering motorist Tyre Nichols whose death sparked outrage in the US.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were acquitted by jurors following a nine-day trial at Tennessee state court.
The former Memphis officers were also found not guilty of aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.
Mr Nichols, a father of one, died three days after officers punched, kicked and hit him with a baton in January 2023 just yards from his home.
The 29-year-old's death and a video of the incident - in which he cried out for his mother - led to nationwide protests and police reform.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Mr Nichols's family, described the verdicts as a "devastating miscarriage of justice".
He added: "The world watched as Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by those sworn to protect and serve."
Memphis district attorney Steve Mulroy said he was "surprised that there wasn't a single guilty verdict on any of the counts", the most serious of which was second-degree murder.
He said Mr Nichols's family "were devastated... I think they were outraged".
Despite the three defendants being acquitted of all state charges during the trial in Memphis, they still face the prospect of years in prison after they were convicted of federal charges of witness tampering last year.
Two other former officers - Emmitt Martin, who was blamed by the defence for the majority of the violence, and Desmond Mills Jr - previously pleaded guilty to federal civil rights and conspiracy charges in relation to Mr Nichols's death.
All five officers will be sentenced at a later date.
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Video evidence showed Mr Nichols was stopped in his car, yanked from his vehicle, pepper-sprayed and hit with a Taser.
He broke free and ran away before the five police officers caught up with him again, and the beating took place.
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Prosecutors argued that the officers used excessive, deadly force in trying to handcuff Mr Nichols and were criminally responsible for each others' actions.
They also said the officers had a duty to intervene and stop the beating and tell medics that Mr Nichols had been hit repeatedly in the head, but they failed to do so.
The trial heard Mr Nichols suffered tears and bleeding in the brain and died from blunt force trauma.
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The defence suggested Mr Nichols was on drugs, giving him the strength to fight off five strong officers, and was actively resisting arrest.
In December, the US justice department said a 17-month investigation showed the Memphis police department uses excessive force and discriminates against black people.