A jury found three former Memphis police officers guilty of witness tampering in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols. While they were acquitted of the most severe charges, the verdict signifies a partial victory for prosecutors who sought justice for Nichols' death.
After a nearly monthlong trial, a jury found Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith guilty of witness tampering Thursday in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols , but were acquitted of the harshest charges they faced for a death that sparked national protests and calls for broad changes in policing.
The verdict marked a partial setback for prosecutors who were unable to land a conviction for civil rights violations for two officers who played an active role in the encounter. Jurors repeatedly watched graphic clips from that showed the officers punch and kick Nichols and hit him with a police baton just steps from his home, as the 29-year-old called out for his mother.
“This has been a long journey for our family," RowVaughn Wells, Nichols' mother, told reporters."I’m actually in shock right now because I still can’t believe all the stuff that’s going on. But we’re happy that they all have been convicted and they have been arrested.” Some of the most emotional testimony at trial came from one of the officers, Desmond Mills, who took a plea deal in which prosecutors call for up to 15 years in prison. He testified in tears that he was sorry for the beating, that he left Nichols’ young son fatherless and that he wishes he stopped the punches. Later, he testified that he went along with a cover-up in hopes that Nichols would survive and the whole thing would “blow over.
Tyre Nichols Police Brutality Memphis Witness Tampering Civil Rights
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