Second former Memphis police officer is changing his plea to guilty in Tyre Nichols’ death

By Shawn Nottingham and Nick Valencia, CNN

(CNN) — A second former Memphis police officer charged in the violent arrest and beating death of Tyre Nichols intends to change his plea to guilty, according to federal court documents.

Former Memphis Police Officer Emmitt Martin III had previously pleaded not guilty to charges related to the death of Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man who was beaten by Memphis police officers following a traffic stop in January 2023.

In November, former Memphis Police Officer Desmond Mills Jr. also agreed to plead guilty in the case as part of a global settlement to both the state and federal charges he was facing for his role in Nichols’ death.

Mills Jr., 33, pleaded guilty to two of the four federal charges he was facing, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. He also agreed to plead guilty in state court at an upcoming hearing on charges related to Nichols’ death, according to the Shelby County district attorney.

Mills and Martin were among the five officers charged in the death. Three other former officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, are still awaiting trial.

A change of plea hearing has been set in Martin’s case for Friday at 3 p.m. ET, according to a notice filed with the Western District of Tennessee Federal Court. It’s unclear if Martin intends to change his plea in his state case.

CNN reached out to Martin’s attorney for comment but has not yet heard back.

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office is aware of the expected change of plea, spokesperson Erica Williams told CNN. “We have consistently collaborated with the federal authorities throughout the entire process,” Williams said.

Nichols’ death sparked fresh protests over how police in America treat people of color after he was violently beaten by Memphis police officers. He required hospitalization after the encounter and died three days later from blunt force trauma to the head. His autopsy report said he had tearing and rupturing in his brain and suffered cuts and bruising all over his body – including his neck and torso – and his death was ruled a homicide.

After an internal investigation, Memphis police identified and fired five officers involved in the traffic stop due to their violation of multiple department policies, including failing in their “excessive use of force, duty to intervene, and duty to render aid,” the department had said in a statement.

The five officers were charged in Tennessee state court with counts of murder, assault and kidnapping related to Nichols’ death.

In addition, the officers were charged in September in a federal indictment with four criminal counts, including civil rights, conspiracy and obstruction offenses resulting in Nichols’ death. Two of the counts carried a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The indictment accused the officers of using unreasonable force, failing to render medical aid, conspiring to cover up their use of unlawful force and intentionally providing false and misleading information in an arrest report.

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