Three former Memphis police officers accused of beating in 2023 by young African -American Tyir Nichols, who subsequently succumbed, were acquitted yesterday, Wednesday, by the charges they faced in a state court.

A jury met for eight and a half hours during two days and found that Tantarius Bin, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith are innocent for all the categories they faced, including second -degree homicide.

The three former police officers, however, may be sentenced to 20 years in prison as they were sentenced by a federal court last year for the same case for different charges, including excessive use of force and attempted influence.

“Tyir’s life was stolen and his family did not have the right to justice he deserved. We are indignant and we know that we are not the only ones, “the Nichols family lawyers commented in a statement.

In January 2023, 29 -year -old Tyir Nichols did not stop at Traffic Control in Memphis, Tennessee in the Southern USA. Five police officers chased him and forcibly pulled him out of his car, while using pepper and teaser against him and hit him with buns and punches as well as a globe.

Nichols died three days later in the hospital where he was decorated.

Video from the beating recorded by a police camera also showed police officers laughing, talking and wandering around the point when Nichols was seeking help.

His death caused demonstrations in all the US and reinforced calls for police reforms. He also turned the attention of public opinion to the Memphis police, a city where mainly African Americans live.

In December 2024, a report by the US Department of Justice, published after 17 months investigations, he concluded that the Memphis Police Department is using excessive violence and discrimination against African Americans.

The five police officers involved in the incident were dismissed, and were prosecuted by the state of Tennessee and a federal court. Two of them accepted their guilt and reached an agreement with the state, awaiting the announcement of their sentence by the Federal Court, where they have also declared guilty.