Five officers were initially charged, but two officers implicated in the death of Nichols entered guilty pleas and testified against their former colleagues, Fox 59 reported. Attorney Ben Crump and Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, expressed satisfaction with the overall outcome of the case.
#BREAKING: Three former Memphis officers were convicted of charges of witness tampering in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, and two were acquitted of federal civil rights violations. https://t.co/rcNGidxX3h
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) October 3, 2024
“All of them have been convicted of something, and they are all going to jail,” Wells said, Fox 59 reported. “That’s how I feel. This has been a long journey for our family.”
Desmond Mills, one of the officers who took a plea deal with a potential sentence of up to 15 years, delivered an emotional testimony at the trial, Fox 59 stated. Through tears, he expressed regret for the beating, apologized for leaving Nichols’ young son fatherless, and admitted he participated in a cover-up, hoping the incident would “blow over” if Nichols survived. (RELATED: Five Former Police Officers Slapped With Federal Charges For Beating Death Of Tyre Nichols)
Emmitt Martin, another officer who struck a deal with prosecutors, testified that Nichols was “helpless” during the beating and that the officers had a mutual understanding to cover for each other, the outlet reported. Under the plea agreement, prosecutors are recommending a sentence of up to 40 years, while defense attorneys questioned the officers’ training and highlighted Martin as a key aggressor, admitting he punched and kicked Nichols in the head and torso.
Nichols succumbed to injuries three days after the Jan. 7, 2023, traffic stop, during which the five former officers pulled him over for “reckless driving” and chased him after he fled on foot. Video footage shows the officers beating Nichols before he was hospitalized for shortness of breath and later died from his injuries.
