Opening statements in the trial of three former Memphis police officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Opening arguments were expected Wednesday in the federal trial of three former Memphis police officers accused of violating federal civil rights in connection with the January 2023 killing of Tyre Nichols.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected to speak to the jury for the first time about Nichols' death, which was captured on police body cameras and heightened calls for police reform in the U.S. Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed on Tuesday on the 12 jurors and four alternates chosen from a pool of 200 candidates. The trial is expected to last three to four weeks.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith have pleaded not guilty to charges that they deprived 29-year-old Nichols of his rights by using excessive force and failing to intervene and obstructed justice by witness tampering. Two others, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., have already pleaded guilty to the federal charges and could testify against their former colleagues.

Nichols, who was black, died in a hospital on Jan. 10, 2023, three days after he was kicked, punched and beaten with a police baton following a traffic stop. A police video released this month shows the five officers, who are also black, beating Nichols as he screamed for his mother about a block from his home. The video also shows the officers loitering and talking among themselves while Nichols sat on the ground, struggling with his injuries.

Officials said Nichols was stopped for reckless driving, but the Memphis police chief said there was no evidence to support that claim.

An autopsy report showed that Nichols died from blows to the head and that the cause of death was homicide. The report described brain injuries as well as cuts and bruises on the head and elsewhere.

Nichols worked for FedEx and enjoyed skateboarding and photography.

“The family of Tyre Nichols has prayed for justice and accountability from the beginning,” Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, the civil rights attorneys representing Nichols' family, said in a statement Wednesday. “Now that the jury has been selected, they pray that the jury will receive all of the evidence and bring justice for Tyre.”

All five officers were part of a crime-fighting team called the Scorpion Unit. They were all fired after Nichols' death for violating Memphis Police Department policy and the unit was disbanded.

They were also charged with second-degree murder in state court, where they pleaded not guilty, although Mills and Martin are expected to change their pleas. A trial date in state court has not yet been set.

On Monday, the judge read a list of possible witnesses that included Martin and Mills, as well as two other former police officers. Preston Hemphill fired his stun gun at the scene of the traffic stop, but did not follow Nichols to where other officers were beating him. Hemphill was fired. Dewayne Smith was the senior lieutenant who arrived at the scene after the fight. He retired rather than be fired.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee told reporters Tuesday that Nichols' death “should never have happened” but that “steps have been taken to improve the situation in the city of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department.”

“This family will be forever changed by this loss,” the Republican said when asked directly about the trial. “And we talk a lot about restitution. And we have to hope that the restitution that comes with justice will be done in this case.”

Earlier this year, Lee and Republican lawmakers clashed with Nichols' mother and stepfather when the state rolled back Memphis police reforms that had been implemented after their son's death. One of the repealed city ordinances had banned so-called sham traffic stops, such as for a broken tail light and other minor violations.

___

Associated Press reporters Jonathan Mattise and Kimberlee Kruesi contributed from Nashville, Tennessee.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.