On Thursday, federal prosecutors completed their case against three former Memphis police officers, Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Bean, and Justin Smith, who are facing allegations of civil rights violations and obstruction linked to Tyre Nichols' death in January 2023. Over the course of nearly two weeks, the prosecution summoned close to 20 witnesses, asserting that the officers not only deprived Nichols of his civil rights during a traffic stop but also colluded to misrepresent the events that transpired.

The evidence presented showcased a disturbing environment within the Memphis Police Department, where the officers reportedly failed to stop each other from using excessive force against Nichols, a 29-year-old Black FedEx employee. Testimony from former officers involved in the beating confirmed that Nichols did not pose a threat at any point, underscoring the systemic issues of secrecy and leniency towards brutality when individuals attempted to evade police capture. In total, five former officers, all of whom are Black, were indicted on federal charges last September, with two having already admitted guilt to some of the accusations.