Memphis Officer Charged Over Tyre Nichols’ Death Changing Not Guilty Plea In Civil Rights Case

Topline

One of the five Memphis, Tennessee, police officers facing federal civil rights charges over the death of Tyre Nichols earlier this year will change his not guilty plea, multiple outlets reported Wednesday, though all five officers still face the possibility of life in prison following Nichols’ beating, which garnered national attention.

A candlelight vigil in memory of Tyre Nichols, who died three days after a police stopping in … [+] Memphis.

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Key Facts

Desmond Mills Jr., who was fired from the Memphis Police Department, was charged in September on four federal counts, including deliberate interference, excessive force, failure to intervene and attempting to cover up misconduct.

Mills, along with four other Memphis officers involved in Nichols’ arrest in January, pleaded not guilty to all state and federal charges stemming from Nichols’ death, though he is the only one of the five to reportedly change his plea (Forbes has reached out to Mills’ attorney, Blake Ballin, for confirmation).

Mills’ new plea and the terms of the plea agreement have not yet been released publicly.

Tangent

All five officers were also charged at the state level with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping with a weapon, aggravated kidnapping resulting in bodily harm, official misconduct through the exercise of power and official misconduct by failing to act.

What To Watch For

If convicted of murder, Mills—along with former officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith—face the possibility of life in prison. Mills is scheduled for a 10 a.m. hearing in the federal case with Tennessee-based District Court Judge Mark Norris in Memphis on Thursday morning.

Key Background

Nichols was pulled over on the night of January 7 for what police claimed at the time was a routine traffic stop that escalated into a “confrontation.” Nichols died days later of excessive blood loss. Officers involved were members of Memphis’ so-called SCORPION Unit, a since-disbanded specialized team tasked with curbing violent crime, though it had faced criticism over its tactics. Memphis officials released video footage of the violent arrest two weeks later, revealing a beating that has since been described by Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis as “heinous” and at the same level, “if not worse,” than the 1991 beating of Rodney King by police officers in Los Angeles. That video footage also fueled nationwide protests over police brutality.

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Key Facts

Tangent

What To Watch For

Key Background

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