Memphis, Tin (AP)-Three former Memphis officers were acquitted on Wednesday from all the charges of the country, including second-degree killing, in the deadly multiplication of Nichols after he fled from the traffic station, a death that caused protests at the country level and led to the renewal of calls to police reforms in the United States
A jury outside the city took a majority of a 6/2 hours of a two -day majority to find Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith not guilty of all charges after a nine -day trial in the state court in Memphis, which is the blue majority. After reading the ruling of the jury, the defendants embraced their lawyers as relatives of the former officers. Outside the courtroom, a relative shouted, “Thank you, Jesus!”
“It is easy to defend a good person,” Martin Zomash, the Smith lawyer, told the Associated Press.
The three defendants are still facing the possibility of years in prison after being convicted of federal charges, despite their acquittal of the most dangerous charges there. Two former former officers in both the State Court and the Federal Court, including Amet Martin, who blamed the majority of the violence.
Bean and Smith outside the bonds and under the arrest of the house after their federal convictions. Haley is held in the Federal Prison.
Nichols, a 29 -year -old black man, fled the traffic stopped after he got out of his car, raised pepper and hit with Tasir. Five officers of the lions also fell with him, put on, kick him, and hit him with a police stick, as they struggle for Nichols Club, calling his mother, steps away from his home. Nichols died on January 10, 2023, three days after beating.
Footage of the strikes taken by the officer’s police electrode camera, who were grinding, speaking and laughing while Nichols was struggling with his injuries, which was a video that prompted the severe audit of the police in Memphis.
Civil law lawyer Bin Kromb, who represents the Nichols family, issued a statement expressing their anger at the result of the trial.
“Today’s rulings are a devastating abortion of justice,” the statement says. “He watched the world as Nichols was beaten to death to death by those who swore to protect and serve.”
Steve Mulri, the lawyer for Memphis Province, said he respected the jury, but believes that the evidence was on all charges that the prosecutors brought.
“Have you been surprised that there was no single guilty judgment on any of the charges or any less detailed crimes, given the overwhelming evidence that we provided? Yes, I was surprised. Do I have an explanation for that?” no. “
He said that he spoke to the Nichols family for a short period, and “they were destroyed … I think they are angry, and we can understand the reason for their anger, given the evidence.”
Defense lawyers said Martin was responsible for the greatest violence
Former Memphis officers, Dismond Mills Junior and Martin, who also participated in the beating, did not compare in the state court after they agreed to an agreement with the prosecutors. They also admitted that they are guilty of the Federal Court, where all the five officers are sentenced.
In the trial, the defense attorneys confirmed that Martin kicked you and Nichols several times in the head.
The defense also seems to score points with their use experts, who have witnessed that the three officers in the trial were acted according to the policies of the police administration and the widely accepted law enforcement standards. A lawyer Bin Wasmith called the personalities who witnessed that the men were good officers who did the right way.
Mills witnessed the prosecution, saying that he regretted his failure to stop the beating, which led to the death of Nichols from the shock of sharp power. Dr. Marco Ross, the medical examiner who conducted the autopsy, said in the court’s certificate, that Nichols suffered tears and bleeding in the brain.
The officers were accused of second -degree death, strict assault, strict kidnapping, poor formal behavior and official repression. In addition to hitting Nichols, prosecutors also said that the officers failed to intervene and failed to tell the medical staff that Nichols had been repeatedly injured in his head.
The defense argued that Nichols was resisting arrest
Mills admitted to the platform that he had to intervene, but he did not. He admitted that Nichols did not pierce or kick any of the officers.
But Mills also strengthened the defense issue when he said that Nichols was actively resisting and did not comply with orders to make his hands to be cakes. Under the interrogation, he indicated that he would not hit Nichols if Nichols put his hands behind his back. He also agreed that the officer is not safe until the hands are caught and a weapon is looking for.
Zumash noted in the closing arguments that credit and discount cards that do not belong to Nichols were found in his car when it was searched after the beating and said that Nichols is likely to run from the traffic station. Defense lawyers have argued that deadly beating would not happen if Nichols had just allowed himself to hand.
Zomash said: “This is the rally Martin and Nichols tires,” Zomash said.
The jury was chosen to trial the state in Hamilton, which includes Chatanoja, after Judge James Jones Junior ordered the case to the case outside the Shilby Province, including Memphis. Defense attorneys have argued that intensive advertising made the seats a fair jury.
In December, the US Department of Justice said a 17 -month investigation showed that the Memphis Police Administration was using excessive force and distinguished against blacks.
A lawsuit is filed against the five officers, the city of Memphis and the police chief by the Nichols family for $ 550 million. The date of an experiment has been set for the next year.
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In this report, this report contributed to this report, the Associated Press Correspondents in the Associated Press contributed that Jonathan Mattis and Tarvis Luller in Nashville contributed to this report.