Opening statements expected in trial of three former Memphis police officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols

The opening speeches were expected on Wednesday in Federal trial against three former Memphis police officers charged with federal civil rights violations in connection with the January 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys are scheduled to speak to the jury for the first time about Nichols' death, which was captured on police body cameras and heightened calls for police reform in the U.S. Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed Tuesday on the 12 jurors and four alternates chosen from a pool of 200 candidates. The jury will consist of eight women and eight men, according to CBS affiliate WREG, which reported that four women are white and four women are black, two men are black, two men are Asian and four men are white.

The process is expected to take three to four weeks.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith have pleaded not guilty to charges that they deprived 29-year-old Nichols of his rights by excessive use of force and failure to intervene, and obstructing justice by tampering with witnesses. Two others, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., have already pleaded guilty to federal charges and could testify against their former colleagues.

Nichols, who was black, died in a hospital on Jan. 10, 2023, three days after he was kicked, punched and beaten with a police baton following a traffic stop. A police video released this month shows the five officers, who are also black, beating Nichols as he screamed for his mother about a block from his home.

Officials said Nichols was stopped for reckless driving, but the Memphis police chief said there was no evidence to support that claim.

Police video released Video from Memphis officers shows police removing Nichols from his vehicle after they pulled him over. After an initial struggle, Nichols can be seen breaking free and running from officers. Nichols was caught, then detained and beaten by five officers at an intersection. The video also showed the officers loitering and talking to each other while Nichols sat on the ground struggling with his injuries.

An autopsy report showed that Nichols died from blows to the head and that the cause of death was homicide. The report described brain injuries as well as cuts and bruises on the head and elsewhere.

Nichols worked for FedEx and he enjoyed skateboarding and photography. The city of Sacramento, where Nichols grew up, named a skate park in his honor. “Tyre fell in love with skateboarding at a young age and it didn't take long for it to become a part of his lifestyle,” says the resolution approved by the City Council. He had a Tattoo with his mother's name on his arm and was the father of a 4-year-old boy.

“The family of Tyre Nichols has prayed for justice and accountability from the beginning,” Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, the civil rights attorneys representing Nichols' family, said in a statement Wednesday. “Now that the jury has been selected, they pray that the jury will receive all of the evidence and bring justice for Tyre.”

All five officers belonged to a A crime-fighting team called the Scorpion UnitThey were all fired after Nichols' death for violating Memphis Police Department policy and the unit was disbanded.

They were also charged with second-degree murder in state courtwhere they pleaded not guilty, although Mills and Martin are expected to change their pleas. A trial date in state court has not yet been set.

On Monday, the judge read a list of possible witnesses that included Martin and Mills, as well as two other former police officers. Preston Hemphill fired his stun gun at the scene of the traffic stop, but did not follow Nichols to where other officers were beating him. Hemphill was fired. Dewayne Smith was the senior lieutenant who arrived at the scene after the fight. He retired rather than be fired.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee told reporters Tuesday that Nichols' death “should never have happened” but that “steps have been taken to improve the situation in the city of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department.”

“This family will be forever changed by this loss,” the Republican said when asked directly about the trial. “And we talk a lot about restitution. And we have to hope that the restitution that comes with justice will be done in this case.”

Earlier this year, Lee and Republican lawmakers clashed with Nichols' mother and stepfather when the state rolled back Memphis police reforms that had been implemented after their son's death. One of the repealed city ordinances had banned so-called sham traffic stops, such as for a broken tail light and other minor violations.