Prosecutors accused the former officers of viciously assaulting Nichols after a traffic stop even though he posed no threat.

Three former Memphis officers have been convicted of charges of witness tampering in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, and two were acquitted of federal civil rights violations in a death that sparked national protests and calls for broad changes in policing.

A federal jury in Tennessee on Thursday convicted three former Memphis police officers of witness tampering stemming from the beating death of Black motorist Tyre Nichols, but cleared them of the most serious charges that could have resulted in life in prison.