A former Tennessee police officer accused in the fatal beating of Memphis motorist Tyre Nichols is set to change his plea in federal court on Friday, as per recent court filings.
Emmitt Martin is one of five ex-officers charged in connection with Nichols’ death on January 7, 2023. Nichols was forcibly removed from his car, severely beaten, and left without medical attention for over 20 minutes.
In September, the five officers were indicted on federal charges, including depriving the 29-year-old FedEx employee and father of his rights through excessive force, failure to intervene, and obstruction of justice through witness tampering.
On November 2, Desmond Mills Jr. pleaded guilty to the federal charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, who suggested a 15-year prison sentence. Meanwhile, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith have all pleaded not guilty.
The five officers also face state charges of second-degree murder. The state trial has been postponed until the federal case is resolved.
According to documents filed to permanently bar Martin from serving as a law enforcement officer in Tennessee, Martin was the second officer to engage with Nichols. He assisted Haley in pulling Nichols from his vehicle after a traffic stop.
Nichols attempted to flee after being threatened and pepper-sprayed by Martin and two other officers, but he was re-apprehended within minutes, about a block away from the home he shared with his mother and stepfather. At this second location, Martin reportedly kicked Nichols while he was on the ground and punched him in the face as two other officers restrained Nichols’ arms.
Police video captured Nichols calling out for his mother as the officers assaulted him. The footage also showed the officers casually interacting with each other after the beating, while Nichols struggled with his injuries.
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Nichols passed away in a hospital three days later. An autopsy concluded that he died from head injuries, and his death was classified as a homicide.
