Three former Memphis, Tennessee police officers have been acquitted of all charges, including second-degree murder, in the fatal beating of Tyr Nichols, a black man who fled a traffic stop. The death of Nichols after being beaten by police sparked nationwide protests and demonstrations. After a nine-day trial in Memphis state court, a jury found former police officers Tadarius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith not guilty. The former police officers shook hands with their lawyers after the jury’s verdict, and relatives of the officers in the courtroom cheered.
