Jury selection began on Monday for the federal trial of three former Memphis police officers charged with violating the civil rights of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old man who died after being beaten by police. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith have pleaded not guilty to charges of excessive force, failure to intervene, and witness tampering. Nichols, a Black man, was pulled over by police in January 2023 and was beaten by officers after trying to run away. He died in a hospital three days later from injuries sustained during the beating.
The trial is expected to last three to four weeks and will draw media attention. Nichols’ family is expected to attend. The officers involved, who were all members of the Scorpion unit, were fired and later charged with second-degree murder in state court. Two of the officers have pleaded guilty in federal court and could testify in the trial.
Video footage released after Nichols’ death showed five officers beating him as he yelled for his mother. The autopsy report revealed that Nichols died from head injuries, and the officers’ claim that he was pulled over for reckless driving was unsubstantiated.
Nichols, who worked for FedEx and enjoyed skateboarding and photography, was described as a victim of police brutality. The trial will determine the fate of the three officers accused of violating his rights and obstructing justice.
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