MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A judge has set the trial date for three former Memphis police officers accused of murder in the Tyre Nichols case for April 28. This decision was announced during a hearing on Friday. Former officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith have all entered pleas of not guilty to the second-degree murder charges linked to Nichols’ death, which resulted from a violent encounter following a traffic stop in January 2023.

Nichols, who was 29 years old at the time of his death, was subjected to severe physical assault including being punched, kicked, and struck with a police baton after fleeing the initial stop. Their violent actions were recorded on police body cameras and subsequently released to the public, revealing harrowing footage of the event. Judge James Jones Jr. announced the upcoming trial in state court during the proceedings on Friday.

On October 3, the officers were convicted on federal charges related to witness tampering. In addition to his involvement in Nichols’ assault, Haley was also found guilty of two federal civil rights violations and conspiracy to commit witness tampering. Sentencing for these federal convictions is scheduled for January.

The three officers were part of a now-defunct crime suppression team known as the Scorpion Unit, which was disbanded following the incident. Two other officers, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., have already pleaded guilty ahead of the federal trial and testified against their colleagues, with their own sentencing pending. They are also anticipated to alter their pleas in the state court, which could enable them to avoid a murder trial altogether.

Nichols, who was a Black man, died on January 10, 2023, three days after the confrontation, despite experiencing excessive force including pepper spray and a Taser during attempts to escape.

The video footage of the encounter shows the officers laughing and conversing while Nichols lay injured and calling out for his mother nearby his home. An autopsy indicated that Nichols died as a result of head trauma, with the report detailing severe brain injuries, cuts, and bruises to his head and other areas of his body.

In a separate development, attorneys for Bean and Smith have submitted motions seeking to have their federal convictions overturned by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris, who has yet to make a ruling on these motions.