**Federal Trial of Former Memphis Officers Begins**
Welcome to Memphis, where the federal trial of three former officers is set to begin. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith are facing charges of violating the civil rights of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old man whose tragic beating was captured on police cameras, sparking widespread protests and demands for police reform.
The officers have pleaded not guilty to charges of excessive force, failure to intervene, and obstruction of justice through witness tampering. Nichols was pulled over in his car in January 2023, and a disturbing police video showed officers pummeling him in a Memphis neighborhood after he ran from them.
Jurors will be selected from a pool of about 200 people, and the trial is expected to last three to four weeks. Media attention from around the country will be focused on this case, with Nichols’ family in attendance.
Tragically, Nichols, a Black man, passed away in a hospital three days after the incident, succumbing to injuries sustained from the beating. The autopsy report confirmed that his death was a result of blows to the head, classified as a homicide. Nichols, who worked for FedEx and had hobbies like skateboarding and photography, was unarmed at the time of the altercation.
The three officers, along with two others, were fired from the Memphis Police Department for policy violations, following which they faced second-degree murder charges in state court. Later, a federal grand jury indicted them in September 2023.
Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., two of the officers, have already pleaded guilty in federal court and may offer testimony in the upcoming trial. A trial date for the state charges has yet to be determined.
This case has drawn national attention and will continue to be closely monitored. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
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