Jury selection was set to commence on Monday in the federal trial of three former Memphis officers accused of violating the civil rights of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old man whose tragic beating was captured on police cameras, sparking protests and demands for police reform.
The defendants, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith, have entered not guilty pleas to charges of excessive force, failure to intervene, and obstruction of justice related to the incident involving Nichols.
Nichols was pulled over in January 2023, and after attempting to flee from the officers, he was subjected to a violent assault in a Memphis neighborhood, as shown in police video footage.
A jury will be selected from a pool of approximately 200 individuals, with the trial expected to last three to four weeks and garner national media attention. Nichols' family is anticipated to be present during the proceedings.
Following the beating, Nichols, who was Black, passed away in the hospital due to injuries sustained during the altercation. An autopsy report revealed that his death was caused by head trauma, with the manner of death classified as a homicide.
The officers involved, who were part of the now-disbanded Scorpion unit, were terminated for violating department policies. Subsequently, they faced charges of second-degree murder in state court before being indicted by a federal grand jury.
Two of the officers, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., have pleaded guilty in federal court and may testify in the upcoming trial. The trial date for the state court proceedings is yet to be determined.
