A former Tennessee police officer charged in the fatal beating of Memphis motorist Tyre Nichols is set to change his not guilty plea in federal court on Friday, as per court filings. Emmitt Martin is one of five former officers indicted in connection with Nichols' death on Jan. 7, 2023. Nichols, a 29-year-old FedEx worker and father, was pulled from his car, brutally beaten, and left without medical assistance for over 20 minutes.
The officers were charged in September with federal offenses including excessive force, failure to intervene, obstruction of justice through witness tampering. Desmond Mills Jr. has pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate, while Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith maintain their not guilty pleas. The state trial for second-degree murder charges has been postponed pending the federal proceedings.
