Former Memphis police officer set to change plea in Tyre Nichols beating death

A second former Memphis police officer is expected to change his not guilty plea on Friday in connection to alleged civil rights violations that ended in the beating death of Tyre Nichols, court documents revealed.

A change of plea hearing for former officer Emmitt Martin has been set for 2 p.m. CT in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Mark Norris, records showed.

Back in November, another former Memphis officer, Desmond Mills Jr., changed his plea to guilty to federal charges of excessive force and obstruction of justice. The defendant agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and face up to 15 years behind bars.

The 29-year-old Nichols died in the hospital several days following a traffic stop on Jan. 7, 2023. Several Memphis police officers were recorded on cameras kicking, punching and hitting him with a baton.

The other officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith — have pleaded not guilty to federal and state charges connected to Nichols, who was Black. All five officers, who were also Black, were put on administrative leave before they were eventually fired.

His beating death was among several in the early 2020s that shined a new night police use of force, particularly in the Black community.

Nichols is often mentioned in the same breath as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Daunte Wright.

Officers reportedly pulled over Nichols for reckless driving, but Memphis police later said there was no evidence to support a stop.

Nichols fled on foot and when officers caught up with him, the young man was just a block away from where his mother and stepfather live.

He was kicked in the head and beaten with batons as he called out for his mother, video showed.