Three officers ordered to have new trials in death of Tyre Nichols

A federal judge in Tennessee ordered new trials Thursday for three former Memphis police officers who were convicted of felony counts in the beating death of Tyre Nichols after a 2023 traffic stop

A federal judge in Tennessee ordered new trials Thursday for three former Memphis police officers who were convicted of felony counts in the beating death of Tyre Nichols after a 2023 traffic stop.

A federal jury convicted Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith last year on charges connected with the death of Nichols, 29, who died after he was punched, kicked and struck with a baton by officers, assaults that were captured on surveillance video.

The three men were acquitted in May on state charges.

In a ruling Thursday, U.S. Chief District Judge Sheryl Lipman did not find any biased decisions by the federal judge in the 2024 case, as the officers' attorneys argued.

But she said new trials were warranted because of a comment the judge was alleged to have made after the trial that the Memphis Police Department was "infiltrated to the top with gang members."