A former Memphis police officer charged in the beating death of Tyre Nichols has changed his plea to guilty.
On Friday (August 23), ex-officer Emmitt Martin pleaded guilty to civil rights violations including excessive force and witness tampering in connection to Nichols' death, per NBC News.
Nichols, 29, died in the hospital several days after a traffic stop on January 7, 2023, where several Memphis police officers were seen kicking, punching, and hitting him with a baton.
Martin is the second officer to change his plea. In November, former officer Desmond Mills Jr. pleaded guilty to federal charges of excessive force and obstruction of justice. He could face up to 15 years behind bars.
In a statement, Martin’s defense lawyer, Stephen Ross Johnson, said his client is accepting responsibility for his involvement in Nichols' death.
“Emmitt Martin was driven by anger when on Jan. 7 of 2023, he admits that he violated Mr. Nichols’ civil rights and used excessive force," Johnson said. "He was driven by fear when he later attempted to cover that up — fear of the consequences of what he had done."
Following Martin's change of plea, Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, spoke to reporters outside court.
"It was good to finally hear him admit the guilt," Wells said. "For them to plead guilty is something. I feel like we're going the right direction, accepting responsibility."
Former officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith have pleaded not guilty to federal and state charges in connection to Nichols' death.
"The dominoes are starting to fall," family lawyer Ben Crump said in a statement. "We expect the other officers to also do the same."
Martin is expected to be sentenced on December 5. Prosecutors said they'll be asking for a 40-year sentence.
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