WARNING: Graphic images may be shown in court.
11:45 a.m: Court returns from recess with statements from prosecutor Paul Hagerman.
“It didn’t take monsters to kill a man,” Hagerman said before showing the jury a video. “It took five Memphis officers who were frustrated, who were mad, and who had adrenaline and anger overcome them.”
10:42 a.m.: Court took its first recess, after prosecution and attorneys for the defendants discussed which photos, text messages and other information, including items found in Tyre Nichols’ car, would be admitted in the case.
They also discussed recent motions by Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith to have their charges dismissed on double jeopardy grounds, because they have already been tried in federal court.
Earlier coverage is below. This story will be updated as the trial continues.
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Three former Memphis Police officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols are back in court Monday as the trial for their state charges gets underway.
After months of hearings, motions, and filings, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith will be in court to face their state charges, the most serious of which is second-degree murder.
Attorneys have been selecting a jury out of Chattanooga, so when they hit the courtroom Monday, they are expected to begin opening arguments.
But unlike the federal trial, WREG will bring you video testimony from the court this time around, as cameras are allowed in the courtroom.
What we don’t know is if Bean, Haley, or Smith will take the stand or what witnesses will be called, as many court documents are sealed. But expect to see plenty of emphasis on the body and sky cam video that captured the beating of Tyre Nichols.
We could also hear from more MPD top brass as the issue of how these officers were trained again plays out. The big question is, will that include Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis, who has filed to have her name removed from the case.
While Tyre Nichols’s family has been outspoken in the past, their attorneys say they will be at the state trial but will not make any statements until the trial is over.
“We are still waiting for the state trial and see how that is gonna come about, and hopefully they will get more time from that, and then we can just move on and heal,” Nichols’s mother, RowVaughn Wells, told WREG in October.
Attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci represent the Nichols family, and when they spoke to WREG before the federal trial, they hinted at the importance of this State case.
WREG is told that the trial could take up to two weeks.
The post WATCH LIVE: State trial of ex-officers accused in Tyre Nichols death begins appeared first on WHNT.
