May 7 (UPI) -- Three former Memphis police officers on Wednesday were acquitted on all state charges in the death of Tyre Nichols two years ago after being convicted of federal charges in 2024.
A state jury found Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith not guilty on charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct and official oppression.
The second-degree murder charge carried a sentence of 15-25 years in prison.
Two other former officers, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills, intend to plead guilty to state charges and testified against their colleagues. They also pleaded guilty in federal court.
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The eight women and four men deliberated for nine hours on Tuesday and Wednesday in the trial that began April 28. They are from Chattanooga and were sequestered.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told WREG-TV: "Was I surprised that there wasn't a single guilty verdict on any of the counts or any of the lesser included offenses, given the overwhelming evidence that I think that we presented? Yes, I was surprised. Do I have an explanation for it? No."
"The state did a hell of a job ... You just can't predict what a jury will do," Mulroy added. "It's a bitter pill to swallow, particularly in a case like this. But like I said, we can strongly disagree with the jury's verdict, but we, nonetheless, respect the jury."
Civil-rights attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, who are representing Nichols' family in a $550 million lawsuit against the city and police department, released a statement after the verdict.
"Today's verdicts are a devastating miscarriage of justice," they said. "The world watched as Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by those sworn to protect and serve. That brutal, inhumane assault was captured on video, yet the officers responsible were acquitted.
"Let this be a rallying cry: We must confront the broken systems that empowered this injustice and demand the change our nation -- and Tyre's legacy -- deserves," they added.
Nichols, 29, was beaten for several minutes on Jan. 7, 2023, after a traffic stop caught on video, suffered cardiac arrest and died three days later.
The defendants hugged each other and their attorneys after the verdict.
"They're doing a job that none of us have the guts to do," Martin Zummach, who represented Smith, said of the officers. "All Tyre Nichols had to do was say, 'All right. You got me.' He might have spent a little time in jail ... but he wouldn't be dead."
Nichols ran away after being pulled from his car and forced to the ground. He was pepper-sprayed and beaten with an officer's baton.
In the video, Martin was seen kicking and punching him in the head. Attorneys for Smith and Bean said they were unable to see or stop Martin because of the pepper-spray in the chaotic scene.
Haley, who arrived at the arrest scene last, kicked Nichols, according to the video. His attorney said it was to the arm to handcuff him.
Officers then picked up Nichols and put him against a car.
Twenty-two more minutes elapsed before a stretcher was brought out for Nichols and he was taken to a hospital.
On Jan. 20, 2023, the five officers, all of whom are Black like the victim, were fired. They were members of the Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhoods, or Scorpion unit. The unit was disbanded in 2023.
The witnesses included Nichols' mother, Mills and another MPD officer who was fired but not charged for the incident.
Bean, Haley and Smith were found guilty of obstruction on Oct. 2, 2024, in the federal trial but they have not been sentenced yet. Haley was found guilty of obstruction, and along with Bean and Smith were acquitted on violating Nichols' civil rights and deliberate indifference to medical needs.
