Tyre Nichols death: Memphis police officers guilty of lesser federal charges – but still face state murder case
Three police officers have been convicted of witness tampering in the case of Tyre Nichols, who died after a prolonged beating during a traffic stop in Memphis.
However, they were cleared of civil rights charges that could have seen them locked up for life.
Mr Nichols, a father of one, died three days after officers punched, kicked and hit him with a baton in January 2023 as he was just yards from his home.
The 29-year-old’s death and a video of the incident – in which he cried out for his mother – sparked outrage in the US and led to police reform.
One of the officers, Demetrius Haley, was found guilty on two counts of “deprivation of rights resulting in bodily injury” – each of which carries a maximum 10-year sentence.
But the federal jury decided that offence did not result in Mr Nichols’ death, ruling out a possible life sentence.
Haley was also found guilty of two counts of witness tampering; while the other two officers, Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith, were convicted on one witness tampering count but cleared of the civil rights charges.
Tyre Nichols was father to a young son
Two other officers had already pleaded guilty and testified against their colleagues, saying Mr Nichols had posed no threat.
All five of the men – who are all black – have been fired, and are also charged with second-degree murder in a state case, where they have pleaded not guilty. That trial has not yet begun.
Prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert told the court on Wednesday the officers tried to cover up what they did and never gave Mr Nichols any medical help.
“This wasn’t one punch. It was over and over and over and over and over again, and not one of these defendants tried to stop it,” Ms Gilbert said.
Clockwise from top left: Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III, Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith
The court heard the officers had lied about the force they used – to medics treating Mr Nichols, their superviser and in written reports.
Jurors also heard they had claimed they pulled over Mr Nichols for driving dangerously, saying he had sped up to beat a red light.
Video showed them beating him for three minutes after he broke free and ran off when he was initially stopped.
A post-mortem showed he died from being hit in the head and sustained brain injuries, cuts and bruises, with haemorrhages throughout his body.
The defence tried to paint Mr Nichols as the main aggressor but one of the officers who agreed a plea deal, Emmitt Martin, testified he was not a threat and was “helpless” as they beat him.
He said the officers had understood afterwards “they weren’t going to tell on me, and I wasn’t going to tell on them”.
Desmond Mills, the other officer who took a plea deal, gave a tearful testimony saying he was sorry.
He said he participated in a cover-up hoping Mr Nichols would survive and the case would “blow over”.
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The US Justice Department is conducting several reviews into Memphis police, including examining its use of force, how it conducts arrests, and whether it carries out racially discriminatory policing.
Mr Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, is also suing the city and its police chief for $550m (£419m).
After Thursday’s verdict, she told reporters: “This has been a long journey for our family.
“I’m actually in shock right now because I still can’t believe all the stuff that’s going on. But we’re happy that they all have been convicted and they have been arrested.”
US president-elect Donald Trump says he has appointed British TV producer Mark Burnett as his special envoy to the UK.
Mr Burnett, 64, created and worked alongside Mr Trump on the US series, The Apprentice, which made the president-elect internationally famous for firing a succession of contestants vying for roles in his businesses.
The London-born producer has also worked on popular reality shows such as Shark Tank, The Voice, and Survivor.
In a statement, Mr Trump said: “It is my great honour to appoint Mark Burnett as the special envoy to the United Kingdom.
“With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role.”
Mr Trump’s first campaign in 2016 was rocked by allegations about his conduct on The Apprentice and other appearances during his association with NBC, notably in footage in which he said he could sexually assault women and get away with it because he was a “star”.
The 78-year-old president-elect went on to praise Mr Burnett for “creating and producing some of the biggest shows in Television History,” and highlight how he won 13 Emmy Awards.
Mr Burnett’s spokesperson said in a statement to Variety he was “truly honoured to serve The United States of America and President Trump as his Special Envoy to the United Kingdom”.
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Mr Burnett will work to enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities, and cultural exchanges, according to the statement.
It comes after Mr Trump, who will take office following his inauguration on 20 January, nominated businessman Warren Stephens to serve as America’s ambassador to the UK.
Earlier this week, Sir Keir Starmer named Labour grandee Lord Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US.
Lord Mandelson. Pic: PA
But the appointment didn’t seem to please Chris LaCivita, co-manager for Mr Trump’s presidential election campaign, who called Lord Mandelson an “absolute moron”.
In a post on X, Mr LaCivita said: “This UK govt is special replace a professional universally respected Ambo with an absolute moron – he should stay home! SAD!”
Mr Burnett is not the first of Mr Trump’s new administration appointees to have a background in TV.
The president-elect made former Fox News commentator and National Guard veteran Pete Hegseth his defence secretary and named celebrity doctor and former TV host, Mehmet Oz, as his administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
US
Trump campaign co-manager calls Lord Mandelson an ‘absolute moron’ as peer is confirmed as Starmer’s new US ambassador
The co-manager for Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign has called Lord Mandelson an “absolute moron” – as the peer was officially announced as the next UK ambassador to the US.
The Labour grandee, who served in Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s cabinets, will become the UK’s top diplomat in Washington as president-elect Trump returns to the White House in January.
In a post on X, Chris LaCivita linked to an article in The Daily Telegraph which reported on Lord Mandelson describing Mr Trump as “a danger to the world”.
The peer also described Mr Trump as “little short of a white nationalist and racist” during an interview with an Italian journalist in 2019, according to the newspaper.
In the post on X, Mr LaCivita said: “This UK govt is special replace a professional universally respected Ambo with an absolute moron – he should stay home! SAD!”
He added the headline of the piece in his post: “Mandelson described Trump as a danger to the world and ‘little short of a white nationalist’.”
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the appointment of Lord Mandelson to the post.
The 71-year-old said: “We face challenges in Britain but also big opportunities and it will be a privilege to work with the government to land those opportunities, both for our economy and our nation’s security, and to advance our historic alliance with the United States.”
The prime minister said: “The United States is one of our most important allies and as we move into a new chapter in our friendship, Peter will bring unrivalled experience to the role and take our partnership from strength to strength.”
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Chris LaCivita, co-manager of Donald Trump’s election campaign. Pic: Reuters
Sir Keir also thanked outgoing US ambassador Dame Karen Pierce, who will leave the post at the beginning of next year.
“I would also like to thank Dame Karen Pierce for her invaluable service for the last four years, and in particular the wisdom and steadfast support she has given me personally since July,” he said.
“She made history as the first woman to serve as UK ambassador to the US and she has been an outstanding representative of our country abroad. I wish her all the very best in future.”
Lord Mandelson was one of the key architects of New Labour and helped the party return to power in the 1990s.
He served as Sir Tony’s trade secretary and Northern Ireland secretary before standing down as an MP in 2004 to become a European Commissioner.
After Mr Brown awarded him a peerage in 2008, Lord Mandelson returned to government as business secretary.
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