HOUSTON, United States

Three former Memphis, Tennessee police officers were acquitted Wednesday of state charges in the murder trial of Tyre Nichols, who was beaten to death after a traffic stop in 2023, according to media reports.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were found not guilty on all charges, including counts of second degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping.

Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, fled officers during a Jan. 7 traffic stop after he was initially pulled from his car, pepper-sprayed and shot by a taser. When officers caught up to Nichols, they punched, kicked and beat him with a police baton. He died three days later.

Two other former Memphis police officers involved in the beating, Desmond Mills Jr and Emmitt Martin, pleaded guilty to the state charges and did not stand trial under plea deals with prosecutors. They also pleaded guilty to federal charges and are awaiting sentencing.

Prosecutors argued that the officers used excessive and deadly force against Nichols and were criminally responsible for each other’s actions. They added that the officers had a duty to intervene and stop the beating.

Defense attorneys claimed that the three officers on trial followed the proper police policies and standards. They pointed out that the officer who acted with the most violence was Martin, who kicked and punched Nichols several times in the head, but is not standing trial.

In December, the US Justice Department released the results of a 17-month investigation which concluded that the Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people.