On May 7, 2025, a jury found three former Memphis police officers not guilty of all charges brought against them in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols. Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith faced several charges, including second-degree murder.
Fatal Beating of Tyre Nichols
On January 7, 2023, Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old father, was on his way home to his family when he was pulled over for a traffic stop. A simple stop turned into something violent. Nichols ran from the police on foot after they pepper-sprayed him and threatened him with their stun gun. Body camera footage and separate surveillance cameras caught the graphic incident on tape. It showed the officers detaining Nichols while kicking, punching, and striking him with a baton.
According to a responding paramedic and Tyre Nichols’ medical records, he went into cardiac arrest at the scene. Three days after the traffic stop and horrific beating, he was pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy revealed his cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.
Charges and Trial
Initially, five former officers were fired and charged with federal and state-level crimes concerning Tyre Nichols’ death. Two officers, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills, pleaded guilty in federal court in 2024 and testified against the other three officers in this trial. The two intend to plead guilty to the state charges as well. Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith were acquitted of charges related to violating Tyre Nichols’ civil rights; however, Demetrius Haley was found guilty.
During the trial, the jury watched video footage of the arrest from multiple angles, and prosecutors tried to paint the officers as unlawful. They claimed they used excessive or witnessed excessive force and failed to do anything about it. The prosecution also claimed they failed to inform the medical responders that Tyre Nichols was struck in the head.
Trial moved quickly, and after three days, Assistant District Attorney Melanie Headley delivered her closing statements on Monday, May 5. She stressed the video footage, claiming the officers’ actions were unjust. She said, “Who is supposed to help him? Those guys. They’ve got a duty — a duty to help him — and they don’t.” She continued, “No witness told you Tyre punched, Tyre kicked, Tyre spit. He didn’t cuss. He didn’t … do any of those things.”
The defense pushed against the idea that the three officers did more than fail to intervene. Defense attorneys acknowledge Tyre Nichols’ death was a tragedy, but claimed that his attempt to flee posed an unknown risk to the officers. When all else failed, they blamed the death on Emmitt Martin, who was seen repeatedly punching and kicking Nichols’ head.
Unjust Crime
The officers acquitted of this heinous action celebrated in the courtroom as the verdict was read. They hugged one another and their attorneys. Tyre Nichols’ family left the courtroom quietly and refused to speak to the media. They briefly mentioned their outrage and devastation at the verdict to Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy. Mulroy spoke on their behalf, saying, “I think we can understand why they’d be outraged by this result, given the evidence.”
The defense painted Nichols as a criminal, and Hadley felt at liberty to address that. She said, “You know who’s not on trial this week? Tyre Nichols. He’s the victim in this case.” After the untimely and unjust death of their beloved son, Nichols’ parents have become advocates for police reform. His mother is suing the city of Memphis for $550 million, and the case is set to go to trial next year.
