On November 2, 2023, one of the five former Memphis police officers involved in the tragic January death of Tyre Nichols has entered a guilty plea to federal charges.
Desmond Mills Jr., aged 33, has also agreed to plead guilty to related state charges in a plea deal reached with prosecutors.
Mills’ guilty plea encompasses charges of civil rights violations and conspiracy, including the excessive use of force and a failure to intervene, as well as conspiring to cover up the unlawful force he used.
This agreement also includes his commitment to testify against his fellow ex-officers and cooperate in the federal civil rights investigation concerning the Memphis Police Department’s patterns and practices.
In exchange for his cooperation, Mills’ state and federal cases will be resolved. The other four ex-officers involved, Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III, and Demetrius Haley, have all pleaded not guilty.
The Shelby County District Attorney, Steve Mulroy, announced that both state and federal prosecutors will recommend a 15-year prison sentence for Mills, with the final decision resting with the judge. This decision has received full support from the Nichols family and their legal counsel.
Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was violently beaten by Memphis police officers and subsequently died in the hospital, sparking protests and vigils across the United States. This incident reignited discussions about policing and law enforcement’s treatment of Black individuals.
After an internal investigation, Memphis police identified and terminated the employment of the five officers involved, citing multiple policy violations, including excessive use of force, failure to intervene, and failure to render aid.
The city of Memphis released body camera and surveillance footage that depicted the officers repeatedly beating Nichols without provocation, undermining key elements of the police’s initial account of the events.
Mills’ plea agreement states that he arrived at the scene, deployed pepper spray, and repeatedly struck Nichols with a baton. He failed to provide aid or report the beating accurately, ultimately filing a misleading account in the police report.
These five officers faced charges in Tennessee state court, including murder, assault, and kidnapping related to Nichols’ death. They were also charged federally with civil rights violations, conspiracy, and obstruction offenses leading to Nichols’ death. Two of these federal charges carried a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Initially, Mills had pleaded not guilty to the federal charges and was released on bond. A jury trial had been scheduled for May 2024.
