Trial Begins for Memphis Officers in Nichols Death

The state trial of three former Memphis police officers—Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith—charged with second-degree murder in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols has begun, featuring opening arguments and video evidence of the fatal beating. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died from blunt force trauma three days after being beaten by officers during a traffic stop, sparking national protests and calls for police reform. Prosecutors argued that the officers, frustrated and acting on adrenaline, collectively beat Nichols and failed in their duty to intervene as he called for his mother. All three officers have pleaded not guilty in the state trial but were previously convicted on related federal charges. Two additional officers involved accepted federal plea deals, with their state cases pending. The jury was selected from Hamilton County due to pretrial publicity concerns, and the trial is expected to last several weeks.