All-white jury from out of town acquits Tyre Nichols’ Killers in Memphis

Today, an all-white jury acquitted Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Bean, and Justin Smith—the three former Memphis police officers on trial for the murder of Tyre Nichols.

The jury, selected from the Chattanooga area—more than five hours from Memphis—found the men not guilty of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression. Jurors also declined to convict on any lesser charges. 

According to @fox13memphis  the former officers argued they were impaired by pepper spray during the encounter, claiming it hindered their ability to respond appropriately.

While acquitted in state court, all three were previously convicted at the federal level. Two other former officers accepted plea deals ahead of the federal trial. The case drew national attention after body-cam footage emerged of Nichols’ killing during a traffic stop in Jan. 2023..

Legal observers have questioned the prosecution’s strategy, particularly the decision to seat an all-white jury for a case originally filed in Shelby County—one of the largest majority-Black counties in the U.S. 

The Alabama-based @eji_org has noted that all-white juries have historically allowed “perpetrators of racial violence, terrorism, and exploitation of disfavored groups” to evade accountability.