Former Memphis Officers Acquitted in State Trial for Tyre Nichols' Fatal Beating

Three former Memphis police officers - Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith - were acquitted of all state charges, including second-degree murder, in the fatal beating case of Tyre Nichols. The jury reached their decision after approximately 8.5 hours of deliberation.

The acquittal in the state trial comes despite the fact that the same officers were previously convicted on federal charges last year related to the same incident. They still await sentencing in the federal case.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Nichols family, called the verdict a "devastating miscarriage of justice." The case has sparked renewed calls for police accountability and reform across the country.

The officers still face other legal challenges, including a pending civil lawsuit filed against them and the City of Memphis.