Trial of 3 Ex-Officers Accused of Beating Tyre Nichols to Death Begins

The trial for three former police officers accused of beating Tyre Nichols to death began this week.
On Wednesday, opening statements began in the case against three former Memphis police officers accused of civil rights violations in the death of Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who was beaten to death in January 2023.
The former officers are on trial for federal civil rights violations, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Rogers arguing in opening statements that they were punishing Tyre Nichols for fleeing a traffic stop. Rogers referenced the police slang “run tax,” which describes disciplining someone for attempting to escape. She noted that the level of force used far exceeded Nichols’ actions and cautioned jurors that they would see video footage of the brutal beating. The footage was made public just weeks after Nichols’ death.
During the opening statements, Rogers accused the officers of failing to act during the “crucial” moments when Nichols’ heart stopped.
“You won’t see Tyre Nichols pose a threat to these officers at any time,” Rogers said on Wednesday.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith have pleaded not guilty to federal charges, including depriving Nichols of his civil rights through excessive force, failure to intervene, and obstructing justice by tampering with witnesses.
Meanwhile, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr. have already pleaded guilty. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Rogers confirmed that Martin and Mills are expected to testify during the trial.
According to authorities, police attempted to stop Nichols while he was driving, and after he was stopped, a confrontation ensued that resulted in Nichols fleeing on foot. He was then apprehended again by the five officers, resulting in a second confrontation.
The police said Nichols complained of having “shortness of breath” and was taken to the hospital in a critical condition. He died of his injuries on January 10. Nichols was pepper-sprayed, stunned with a Taser, and brutally beaten with punches, kicks, and a police baton during the traffic stop.
Police footage, released that same month, captured the five officers—who are also Black—assaulting Nichols as he called out for his mother just a block from her home. The video also showed the officers standing around, conversing, while Nichols sat on the ground, visibly struggling from his injuries.
John Keith Perry, an attorney for Bean, started crafting his defense during opening statements on Wednesday.
Perry argued that Tyre Nichols drove for two miles after officers activated their blue lights and resisted their orders to surrender, claiming Nichols was “fighting like hell” with police. Perry stated that footage from a sky cop camera would show Nichols behaving suspiciously and asserted that evidence would prove the officers’ innocence.
“The narrative you hear here will take you five minutes to deliberate on,” Perry said.
During a break in the proceedings on Wednesday afternoon, Nichols’ family, their legal team and supporters gathered outside the courthouse for a prayer vigil.
“Our hope is that they’re found guilty and to show the world that my son was a good person and he wasn’t the criminal that they’re trying to make him out to be,” RowVaughn Wells, Nichols’ mother, said.
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.