One of the five former Memphis Police Department officers charged for the killing of Tyre Nichols pleaded guilty in a federal court Thursday, Nov. 2.
Desmond Mills Jr. accepted charges related to civil rights violations and conspiracy stemming from the voilent arrest on Jan. 7.
Mills, along with his co-defendants Emmitt Martin III, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, were caught on body camera video taking turns dishing out the fatal beating of Nichols.
They were indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 12 for charges that include the use of excessive force leading to the man’s death, aiding and abetting each other in this excessive force, failing to intervene to prevent the abuse, neglecting to provide medical assistance, and engaging in a conspiracy to conceal their misconduct.
Mills Jr. pleaded guilty to his use of excessive force, his failure to intervene in the unlawful assault and conspiring to cover up his use of unlawful force. He confessed to repeatedly and unjustifiably striking Nichols with a baton and failing to intervene when other officers also used excessive force against Nichols.
WATCH BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE HERE
He admitted that he witnessed another officer repeatedly hitting Nichols in the head while two other officers held Nichols down. He also acknowledged that he did not provide any medical aid to Nichols despite knowing that Nichols’ condition was severe. In addition, Mills said he failed to inform the MPD or Memphis Fire Department EMTs about the injuries Nichols sustained.
Even more, Mills took part in conversations with other officers discussing the use of force against Nichols, intending to make him fall, and expressing the belief that they were close to causing Nichols’ death when he did not fall from their blows.
Mills said he lied to supervisors and detectives about following procedure and submitted a report falsely claiming that Nichols was “aggressively resisting” officers.
Mills faces 15 years in prison and will not be subject to parole in the federal system.
Nichols’ parents reacted to the plea hearing outside the federal courthouse in Memphis on Thursday, Nov. 2, with his mother calling the court proceeding “a start.”
“This is the first domino to fall,” Nichols’ father said.
The four remaining defendants will continue to face the federal charges laid out in the indictment via a federal trial scheduled for May 6, 2024. All of them also face state felony charges.
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