Three former Memphis police officers have been convicted of witness tampering in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols.
Nichols, 29, was beaten during a traffic stop last year in Memphis, Tennessee, and died three days after the incident.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith were among five officers who punched, kicked, and struck Nichols on January 7, 2023. The other two officers had already pleaded guilty.
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Bean, Haley, and Smith were found guilty of one count of obstructing justice by witness tampering but were acquitted of the more serious civil rights violations that could have resulted in life sentences.
All officers involved, including those charged and fired, are Black, as was Nichols. After about six hours of deliberation following a nearly month-long trial, a federal jury delivered the verdict on Thursday, October 3, 2024.
The convicted officers face up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for January 22.
In addition to witness tampering, Haley was found guilty of conspiracy to commit witness tampering.
Attorneys for Nichols’ family praised the verdicts, stating: “The guilty verdicts reached today send a powerful message that law enforcement officers who commit crimes will be held accountable.”
“Tyre should be alive today,” said lawyers Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci. “While nothing can bring him back, today’s verdicts bring a measure of accountability for his senseless and tragic death.”
Speaking after the verdict, Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, and his stepfather, Rodney Wells, expressed gratitude for the jury’s decision. “This has been a long journey for our family,” Ms. Wells said. “We’re happy that they’ve been convicted and arrested.”
The five officers were members of the now-disbanded Scorpion Task Force, which was created to combat crime in Memphis.
Video footage from the incident shows Nichols being pulled over for alleged reckless driving. A scuffle ensued, with officers using pepper spray and a Taser on Nichols as he tried to flee. The officers caught up with him a block away and assaulted him while he cried out for his mother.
Nichols died three days later, with an autopsy ruling the death a homicide caused by blunt-force trauma.
A statement from the U.S. Department of Justice said the officers’ failure to inform medical responders about the multiple blows to Nichols’ head directly contributed to his death. A medical responder testified that if they had been told about the head injuries, their treatment would have been significantly different.
Two other officers, Emmit Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., pleaded guilty to federal civil rights and conspiracy charges related to Nichols’ death.
All five officers also face second-degree murder charges in Tennessee state court, though a trial date has not yet been set.
Following the incident, Nichols’ family sued the city of Memphis for $550 million over his death.
