Three former Memphis officers were released on Wednesday, with a second-degree murder in a deadly beating after the traffic stopped from the traffic stop, a death that started a nationwide protests and new calls for police reform in the United States
A jury Tedarius bin, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith took about two days for two days to find about 8/2 hours not guilty of all allegations Nine -day trial Memphis’s State Court. After reading the jury verdict, the defendants embraced their lawyers as the relatives of the former officers cried. A relative shouted, “Thank you, Jesus!”
Three accused still faces the expectations of a few years in jail after them Guilty of the federal complaint Last year.
The 29-year-old black man Nichols escaped from the traffic stop after he got out of his car, fell into the pepper-chit and hit with a teaser. Five officers who were also caught with him and knocked, kicked and hit Nichols with a police stick, fighting to hand him over to his house when he called for his mother only. Nichols died on January 10, 2023, three days after the beating, and the incident ordered a sharp investigation into the police in the majority-black city Memphis.
The footage of the beating of the police polar camera showed that the officers were calling, talking and laughing while fighting Nichols.
Civil Rights Attorney Ben Cramp, who represents Nichols’ family, issued a statement expressing anger in the verdict.
The statement said, “Today’s judgment is a devastating abortion of justice,” “The world saw that Tire Nichols was sworn in and served by them.”
Memphis District Attorney Steve Muloro says he respects Jury, but thinks that there is evidence for every allegation brought by the prosecutors. He said he spoke briefly to Nichols’s family and “They were devastated. … I think they were outraged, and we could understand why they would express anger because of evidence.”
Former Memphis Officer Desmond Mills Jr., who was accused of the death of Nichols, testified as a prosecution witness.
Another officer involved in Mills and beating, Emmit MartinHave agreed Guilty The state did not stand in favor of the state and the prosecutors under the agreement with the prosecutors. They also found guilty in the Federal Court, where five officers were pending.
Officers were accused of killing second degree, growing abuse, increasing abduction, government abuse and government oppression.
Officers were accused of using unnecessary power during the arrest of Nicole. Prosecutor Paul Hagerman said in the opening statement that they were frustrated, angry and full of adrenaline after Nichols escaped from the traffic stop.
Prosecutor said that they were “spent at the moment”.
“No one will say their monsters,” said Hagarman. “Don’t take a monster to kill a man.”
Prosecutors argued that officers used extra, deadly power to try to handcuff Nichols and were criminally responsible for each other’s activities. They also said that the officers had the duty to stop and be beaten and to tell the treatment staff that Nichols was repeatedly hit in the head, but they failed to do so.
Defense attorns tried to refute the allegations that officers used extra power to subdue Nicols and followed the police policies and values. Defense Atornis say that the officer who actually played the most violence is Martin, who kicked and dug several times in the head but did not face justice.
Mills testified that he regretted his failure to stop beating, causing Nichols’ blurred forces to die from Force Trauma. Nichols was suffering from tears and bleeding in the brain, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy. Marco Ross says according to court testimony.
When Nichols was struggling with Bin and Smith, who kept him on the ground, Mills tried to do chili-spray-spray, but he finished himself spraying himself, he said.
After trying to recover, Mills then approached Nichols and hit his arm three times with a stick. The Mills prosecutor Paul Hagarman told that he was angry with the spray of chili and he stabbed Nichols.
Mills acknowledged in this position that he had the responsibility of interfering to stop the beating, but did not.
Mills, however, said that Nichols was actively resisting the arrest and did not obey the order of his hand to disbelieve.
During the trial, Defense Attorney John Keith asked Perry Mills that Nichols only put his hand behind his back, if he hit Nichols by sticking. Mills didn’t say.
Smith’s Attorney Martin Zumach Mills asked if an officer is safe if an officer does not handcuffs and is not searched for a weapon. Mills said they were not safe in these situations. Nichols was not searched before running from the traffic stop.
Mills acknowledged that the officers were intimidated and tired, but said that some of the methods used in Nichols followed the policy of the police department, in which the use of wrist locks and hitting the stick.
Zumach finished arguing that the credit and debit cards that were not included in Nichols were found in his vehicle when it was searched after the beating and said that it was probably because of the Nichols running from the traffic stop. Defense lawyers have argued that if Nichols only allowed themselves to handcuff himself, it would not have been severely beaten.
“It’s Mmitry Martin and Tire Nichols’,” said Zumch.
Defense also suggested that Nichols was intoxicated, giving him the power to fight five powerful officers. A TBI agent testified that his car also found some mushrooms containing hallucinogenic ciclosibin. However, a toxicology report has shown that Nichols only had alcohol and a small amount of marijuana on its system.
Mills admitted that Nichols never bribed or kicked an officer.
Defense lawyers also claimed that Bin and Smith could not see the strike on Nichols’s head because they were blinded by pepper spray and their tunnel was visible while trying to restrain Nichols.
However, the prosecutors commented on the accused after being beaten and signed suspicion of the claim. According to the footage of the scene, Bin said that Nichols was “eating” and Smith said they had hit Nichols with “so many pieces” or bribe. Prosecutor Tanisha Johnson said Smith “hit him” and Haley said “beat that person,”
In December, the US Judicial Department. 17 months of investigation The Memphis Police Department has used extra power and has shown discriminatory against blacks.
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