Three former Memphis police officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith, were convicted of witness tampering in connection with the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols in January 2023, but were acquitted of more serious federal civil rights violations that could have resulted in life sentences (Global News, BBC, HuffPost). Haley was found guilty of a lesser charge of violating Nichols' civil rights causing bodily injury, while Bean and Smith were acquitted of civil rights charges (WMC, CBC). The officers were part of the now-disbanded SCORPION Unit and used excessive force during a traffic stop, an incident that led to nationwide protests and calls for police reform (Star Advertiser, CBS News). Two other officers involved pleaded guilty and testified against their colleagues, leading to the convictions (HuffPost, Wave3). The jury deliberated for six hours, and the officers remain in custody pending a hearing on their release before sentencing, which could result in up to 20 years in prison for the tampering charges (CBC, Star Advertiser). A separate state murder trial is anticipated following the conclusion of these federal proceedings (Wave3, CBS News).