This case involved Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith, and it sparked national protests and calls for police reform.

While all three officers were convicted of at least one charge, Bean and Smith were acquitted of civil rights violations. Haley was found guilty of a lesser charge related to bodily injury. The court was silent as the verdicts were read, and the judge ordered the officers into custody pending a hearing regarding their release before sentencing. Witness tampering charges carry up to 20 years in prison.

Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, commented on the outcome: “A win is a win. They’re all going to jail.”

Five officers were charged in total, but two pleaded guilty and testified against their former colleagues. Throughout the trial, jurors were shown police footage of the officers brutally beating Nichols, who later died from his injuries.

Prosecutors argued that the assault stemmed from Nichols fleeing a traffic stop, describing it as a “street tax” or “run tax.” The officers were accused of lying to supervisors and medical personnel about the incident and falsifying reports to cover up the severity of their actions.

Defense attorneys challenged the adequacy of the officers’ training, but footage and testimony, including emotional accounts from officers who took plea deals, painted a clear picture of Nichols’ suffering. Nichols died three days after the beating, leaving behind a young son.

The officers still face second-degree murder charges in the state court, where two of them are expected to change their pleas.