A former Memphis police officer pleads guilty in relation to the death of Tyre Nichols during a lethal encounter in January of this year.
The 29-year-old Black man was brutally beaten by Memphis law enforcement personnel for roughly three minutes on Jan. 7. The incident came after the victim was stopped for what the police initially said was reckless driving. However, the encounter quickly escalated into a violent confrontation that ended with Nichols being hospitalized in critical condition.
Tyre Nichols Death
Five police officers involved in the incident, all of whom were also Black, were subsequently fired and later charged with various state felonies, including second-degree murder. The Department of Justice (DOJ) in September announced that a grand jury had indicted the five officers on federal civil rights, conspiracy, and obstruction offenses.
One of the officers involved in the incident pleaded guilty to two felony charges in federal court in early November. This was a reversal that came as part of a plea agreement that is expected to include pleading guilty to at least some of the state charges, as per the New York Times.
The charges in the case came after the City of Memphis released graphic video footage of the incident that showed officers punching, kicking, and using a baton to beat Nichols. The law enforcement personnel would continue their assault despite the victim begging them to stop.
The footage was almost an hour long and was compiled from police body cameras and a street camera that showed parts of the traffic stop. Nichols could be seen running away as police pursued him. An autopsy of Nichols later declared his death on Jan. 10 a homicide from blunt force injuries to his head.
Four other officers involved in the incident have pleaded not guilty and were identified as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith. The charges against the suspects include second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.
The one who pleaded guilty is 33-year-old Desmond Mills Jr in relation to two of the four federal charges that he was given. He also agreed to plead guilty in state court at an upcoming hearing on charges related to Nichols' death, according to CNN.
Former Memphis Police Officer Pleads Guilty
The charges that Mills pleaded guilty to include using excessive force and failing to intervene as well as conspiring to cover up his use of unlawful force against Nichols. As part of his plea agreement, the suspect will be called to testify against the other defendants in the case.
The former officer had also agreed to fully cooperate in the federal civil rights investigation into patterns and practices of the Memphis Police Department. Mills agreed to have both his state and federal cases resolved in exchange for his cooperation in the case of his four fellow ex-officers.
In a statement on Thursday, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said that Mills' cooperation will help them bring to justice all the individuals who are criminally responsible for the death of Nichols. He added that it would also help in identifying needs for systemic reform within the police department, said CBS News.
