May 7 (Reuters) - A jury in a Tennessee state court on

Wednesday acquitted three former Memphis police officers of

second-degree murder and all other charges in the 2023 beating

death of Black motorist Tyre Nichols.

Jurors acquitted Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin

Smith of the charges in the case. They were also found not

guilty of aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official

misconduct and official oppression.

The death of Nichols, 29, a skateboarder and photographer,

sparked outrage after police video showed five Black officers

kicked, punched, pepper-sprayed and struck the young father with

a baton on Jan. 7, 2023 as he called for his mother. He died in

a hospital three days later.

Nichols' death led to nationwide protests and renewed calls

for police reform, coming after other police killings of Black

men raised questions about racism and police misconduct in the

United States, including the murder of George Floyd in

Minneapolis in 2020.

The verdict was handed down days after President Donald

Trump issued an executive order on "strengthening and unleashing

America's law enforcement" that calls for a review of police

reform agreements and condemns efforts to "demonize law

enforcement and impose legal and political handcuffs."

In December, during President Joe Biden's term, the U.S.

Justice Department released the results of a 17-month

investigation that found the Memphis Police Department used

excessive force and discriminated against Black people.

The three former officers also went on trial in federal

court and got a mixed verdict. A jury convicted them of witness

tampering but cleared them of the most serious charges. They

have not yet been sentenced. Two other former officers pleaded

guilty to federal charges. All were fired by the Memphis Police

Department.

Video evidence showed police pulled Nichols from his car,

pushed him to the ground and threatened to use a Taser, spray

and beat him as they held him down. Nichols broke free and ran

away before police caught up to him again and the beating took

place.

(Reporting by Karen Freifeld in New York)