3 ex-officers did not testify at their trial in Tyre Nichols’ death

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Lawyers for three former Memphis officers rested their cases Monday without calling them to testify in their own defense against charges that they violated Tyre Nichols’ civil rights in a beating that proved fatal following a 2023 traffic stop.

Attorneys for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith told a jury that they were not calling any more witnesses. Michael Stengel, Haley’s lawyer, John Keith Perry, Bean’s attorney, and Martin Zummach, who represents Smith, each called their own police use-of-force experts in previous days of testimony in an attempt to justify the officers’ actions during the traffic stop and beating. The trial is now in its fourth week.

Zummach had said in opening statements that Smith would testify in his own defense. Smith did not take the stand. On Monday, Zummach questioned Jared Zwickey, who spent 50 years law enforcement and was called as an expert witness.

Zwickey said he analyzed video and he showed the jury excerpts of Smith and Bean hitting Nichols when they caught him after he ran from the traffic stop. Zwickey testified that Smith’s actions were consistent with Memphis police and national policing standards and training.

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