Three former Memphis police officers have been convicted of witness tampering in connection with the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old man, during a traffic stop in January 2023. The officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith, were part of a group that violently attacked Nichols, who was stopped for alleged reckless driving. The other two officers involved in the incident had already pleaded guilty.
The federal jury’s verdict was reached after about six hours of deliberation following a month-long trial. Bean, Haley, and Smith were convicted on one count of obstructing justice through witness tampering, but they were acquitted of more serious civil rights violations that could have led to life sentences. All five officers involved in the case, including those who pled guilty, are black, as is Nichols.
The three officers are facing up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for January 22. In addition to witness tampering, Haley was also convicted of conspiracy to commit witness tampering. Attorneys for Nichols’ family expressed their approval of the verdict, stating it emphasizes accountability for law enforcement officers committing crimes. They lamented that Nichols should still be alive, but saw the verdicts as a step towards justice.
Outside the courthouse, Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, and his stepfather, Rodney Wells, expressed their gratitude to the jury. “This has been a long journey for our family,” said Ms. Wells. “I’m still in shock right now. We’re happy that they’ve all been convicted and they’ve been arrested.”
The five officers were part of the now-disbanded Scorpion Task Force, a specialized unit aimed at reducing crime in Memphis. During the incident, police video captured the moment Nichols was stopped, leading to a struggle where officers used pepper spray and a Taser. He was eventually assaulted by the officers as he called out for his mother and died three days later from blunt-force trauma, which was ruled a homicide in the autopsy report.