Former Memphis police officer Emmitt Martin III testified on Tuesday about his involvement in a fatal beating of Tyre Nichols. During the incident on January 7, 2023, Nichols was pulled over, yanked from his car, and assaulted by officers Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith. Martin admitted to punching Nichols several times while his colleagues held his arms, instructing him to “hit him.” He also confessed to lying to his supervisor about the use of force during the encounter.
The officers involved, including Demetrius Haley and Desmond Mills Jr., faced charges of violating Nichols’ civil rights through excessive force, failure to intervene, and witness tampering. Nichols’ death led to their termination from the police department, and they were indicted by a federal grand jury. Martin and Mills accepted plea deals and are now providing testimony against their former coworkers.
During the trial, jurors watched video evidence of the incident as Nichols’ family members were present in the courtroom. Martin stated that he was upset by Nichols fleeing the traffic stop and not being able to make any arrests that night. Despite feeling angry, he acknowledged that officers were not permitted to use force out of anger and admitted he should have intervened.
Martin revealed that he intentionally disabled his body camera to conceal their actions while assaulting Nichols. He described kicking Nichols and witnessing Mills strike him with a baton. Martin then punched Nichols multiple times at the urging of Bean and Smith, who held Nichols’ arms throughout the ordeal. He described Nichols as “helpless” during the attack.
Furthermore, Martin confessed to providing false information to his supervisor, fabricating claims about Nichols being high and making aggressive gestures. The officers also misrepresented the events leading up to the beating. Martin admitted to exaggerating Nichols’ actions to justify their excessive use of force, violating department policies in the process.
Tyre Nichols, an African American man, was subjected to pepper spray and a stun gun during the traffic stop before being pursued and beaten by the officers near his home. Despite his pleas for help, the officers left Nichols to suffer from his injuries. Nichols passed away three days later due to head injuries sustained during the assault, leaving behind a young son.
The five officers, all Black, face second-degree murder charges in state court, to which they have pleaded not guilty. However, Mills and Martin are expected to change their pleas. A trial date for the state court proceedings has yet to be determined.
