Three former Memphis police officers charged with murder in the beating of Tyre Nichols will go on trial in April, a judge decided Friday.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith have pleaded not guilty to state charges of second-degree murder in the death of Nichols, who was punched, kicked and hit with a police baton after he fled a traffic stop in January 2023.
During a hearing Friday, Shelby County Judge James Jones Jr. scheduled their trial in state court for April 28. Jones also set a Nov. 25 hearing to discuss motions filed by defense attorneys to have the officers stand trial separately.
The three were found guilty Oct. 3 of federal witness tampering charges in the death of Nichols, 29, whose beating was caught on police video that has been released to the public. Haley was also convicted on two federal civil rights violations and a charge of conspiracy to witness tamper. They are scheduled for sentencing on the federal convictions in January.
The three, along with Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., were part of a crime suppression team called the Scorpion Unit that was disbanded after Nichols' beating.
