Three former Memphis Police Department officers were acquitted on May 7 of all state charges relating to the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old black man who died after being beaten by police during a traffic stop.
An out-of-town jury deliberated for more than eight hours over two days before finding Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith not guilty on all charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.
The verdict followed a nine-day trial in state court in Memphis.
Martin Zummach, Smith’s attorney, said: “It’s easy to defend a good person. It’s nerve racking to represent an innocent man.”…