In Memphis, a former police officer, Emmitt Martin, is planning to alter his plea from not guilty in the federal court regarding the death of Tyre Nichols, a Memphis motorist. Nichols died on January 7, 2023, after being pulled out of his car, brutally beaten, and left without medical assistance for over 20 minutes. Martin is one of five ex-officers indicted in September on federal charges related to the incident, which include using excessive force, failing to intervene, obstructing justice, and witness tampering.
Desmond Mills Jr. has already pleaded guilty to the federal charges and has agreed to cooperate with the prosecutors, who have recommended a 15-year prison term for him. On the other hand, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith have maintained their not guilty pleas. In addition to the federal charges, all five officers also face second-degree murder charges in state court, with the trial postponed until the federal proceedings conclude.
Martin was the second officer to have interacted with Nichols during the incident and allegedly assisted in pulling him out of his vehicle. Despite Nichols initially running away, he was caught within minutes near his residence and subjected to further physical violence by Martin. Nichols succumbed to his injuries three days later in the hospital, with the autopsy revealing that the cause of death was blunt force trauma, ruling it as a homicide.
The video footage from the police showed Nichols pleading for his mother while being beaten by the officers, who later were seen conversing amongst themselves as Nichols struggled with his injuries. The Police Chief of Memphis mentioned that no valid reason could be found for the initial traffic stop that led to the tragic event. Notably, Nichols was Black, as were the five fired officers for their misconduct as per Memphis Police Department policies.
Martin is expected to appear before U.S. District Judge Mark Norris soon to modify his plea under an agreement with the prosecutors, as stated in a recent court filing. Jury selection for his trial was originally planned for September 9th.
