THREE former Memphis police officers were frustrated, angry and full of adrenalin when they beat Tyre Nichols to death after he ran away from a traffic stop in 2023, a prosecutor has told their trial on second-degree murder charges.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith have pleaded not guilty to state charges, but already face the prospect of years behind bars after being convicted of federal civil rights and witness-tampering offences last year.

During opening arguments in their trial on Monday, prosecutor Paul Hagerman showed the jury a police video of the incident.