Tyre Nichols: Second former Memphis police officer changes his plea to guilty

CNN
—

A second former Memphis police officer facing civil rights charges in the violent arrest and death of Tyre Nichols changed his plea to guilty in federal court on Friday.

Emmitt Martin III joined his former colleague Desmond Mills, who also changed his plea to guilty last November as part of a deal to the state and federal charges against him for his role in Nichols' death.

The change came after Martin had previously pleaded not guilty.

Mills and Martin are among five former police officers charged in the death of Nichols, a 29-year-old black man. Martin has been charged in federal court with deprivation of rights, witness tampering and obstruction of justice. Three other former officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, are still awaiting trial.

It is unclear whether Martin intends to change his plea in his state's case, where he currently faces a second-degree murder charge.

CNN has repeatedly asked Martin's lawyer for comment.

The former officer pleaded guilty to “deprivation of rights under the guise of law: excessive force and failure to intervene” and “conspiracy to tamper with witnesses,” according to a plea agreement filed in court Friday. He admitted to “intentionally using unreasonable force against Tyre Nichols,” “aiding and abetting” other officers in assaulting Nichols, and “failing to intervene” in the use of force by other officers. He also admitted to conspiring with other officers to “cover up their use of unreasonable force against Nichols,” the plea agreement states.

According to a document filed in court Friday, the settlement includes a recommended sentence of up to 40 years. The maximum recommended sentence is significantly longer than the 15-year maximum sentence recommended in Mills' case, but the decision in both cases will ultimately rest with the judge.

“It was very emotional today to hear another police officer confess to the murder of my son,” said RowVaughn Wells, Nichols' mother, after Martin's court hearing.

“One of my children is now gone because of the Memphis police,” she said tearfully. “Tyre was minding his own business. And he just came home.”

She added that Martin's guilty plea “is a step in the right direction.”

“I hope that after today, the other three officers will come clean and say they are guilty,” she continued. “Because they know they are.”

“I'm grateful he pleaded guilty, but that doesn't ease my pain,” Wells said. “No, I'll never get my son back. I'll never hear his voice again.”

Ben Crump, one of the lawyers representing the Nichols family in their $550 million federal lawsuit against the city of Memphis, its police department and the officers described in the complaint as “unqualified, untrained and unsupervised,” also expressed hope that the other officers involved will plead guilty.

“The dominoes are falling, and they're not just going to stop with these officers,” he said. “The blood is not just on the hands of these officers, the blood is on the hands of the Memphis Police Department.”

Rodney Wells, Nichols' father, called for Martin to receive the recommended maximum sentence of 40 years. “If we get 40 years, we'll be happy,” he said, comparing the sentence to the 21-year sentence given to former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd.

“This is not something we take for granted – that police officers are held accountable for killing black people in America and sentenced to real prison time,” Crump added. “Usually we get a slap on the wrist for that.”

“Considering how they beat him to death, the verdict should also have significant meaning,” he said.

Crump also drew attention to the SCORPION unit, a controversial special forces unit created in 2021 to combat violent crime in Memphis. All five officers charged in Nichols' death belonged to that unit. Police said the unit was permanently deactivated shortly after Nichols' death.

“These SCORPION officers were roaming the streets trying to conduct unconstitutional checks,” he said.

In a statement Friday, the Shelby County District Attorney's Office called the guilty plea “another important step toward closure for the family of Tyre Nichols.” “While today's development is significant, much work remains to be done,” the statement said. “The public has the right to trust that those responsible for enforcing the law will be held accountable for excessive use of force.”

Prosecutors added that they expect Martin to enter a similar plea in state court.

The family of Tyre Nichols has filed a $550 million lawsuit against the city of Memphis, its police department and the officers the lawsuit describes as “unqualified, untrained and unsupervised.”

Nichols died in January 2023, three days after the five officers repeatedly kicked and punched him following a traffic stop and a brief chase. The officers then left him slumped against a car for critical minutes, a video of the incident shows. The autopsy found he died of blunt force trauma to the head, and his death was ruled a homicide.

The beating and death of Nichols led to protests and vigils in Memphis and other major US cities, reigniting the heated debate about policing and the authorities' treatment of black people.