Opening statements were set to take place on Wednesday in the federal trial of three former Memphis police officers accused of federal civil rights violations in the January 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols. The incident, captured on police cameras, sparked calls for police reform in the United States. The trial is anticipated to last three to four weeks.
A pool of 200 potential jurors completed questionnaires before the jury selection was finalized with 12 jurors and four alternates on Tuesday. Prospective jurors were asked by U.S. District Judge Mark Norris about their ability to remain fair and impartial despite extensive media coverage preceding the trial. They were also questioned about their ability to view footage of the beating if selected for the trial.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith pleaded not guilty to charges of using excessive force, failing to intervene, and obstructing justice in connection with Nichols’ death. Two other officers, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., have pleaded guilty to the charges and might testify against their former colleagues.
Nichols, a Black man, passed away in January 2023, three days after being subjected to physical violence by police officers following a traffic stop. The autopsy report revealed that Nichols died from head injuries, describing the manner of death as homicide, along with sustaining brain injuries and cuts and bruises.
Apart from their federal charges, the three officers set to stand trial, along with Martin and Mills, were terminated for violating Memphis Police Department policies. They were part of a disbanded unit named the Scorpion Unit. The five officers were initially charged with second-degree murder in state court before being federally indicted in September 2023.
Potential witnesses in the trial include Martin and Mills, as well as two other former officers. Preston Hemphill, who fired his stun gun during the traffic stop but did not participate in the physical altercation, was dismissed. Dewayne Smith, the supervising lieutenant on the scene, retired instead of being fired.
Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee expressed that Nichols’ death should not have occurred and mentioned steps taken to enhance circumstances in Memphis and within the police department. Amid ongoing legal proceedings, tensions arose earlier in the year between Lee, Republican lawmakers, and Nichols’ family following the repeal of police reforms enacted in Memphis post-Nichols’ death.