A second ex-Memphis police officer pleads guilty to Tyre Nichols' death. He could spend 40 years in prison

In a press conference with civil rights attorney Ben Crump after the hearing, Wells said the hearing was “very emotional” and “bittersweet.” She said the latest confession was a step in the right direction, but she will not be satisfied until all officers are brought to justice.

“Tyre just came home. He was just minding his own business,” she said.

Nichols died in a hospital on January 10, 2023, three days after he was kicked, punched and beaten with a police baton following a traffic stop. Officers said they stopped Nichols for driving recklessly, but Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said no evidence was found to support that allegation.

A police video released on Jan. 27 of last year shows officers beating Nichols as he screamed for his mother about a block from their shared home. The video also shows officers loitering and talking with each other as Nichols struggled with his injuries.

An autopsy report showed that Nichols died from blows to the head and that the cause of death was homicide. The report described brain injuries, cuts and bruises to the head and other parts of the body.

“I'll never get my son back. I'll never hear his voice again,” Wells told reporters Friday. “They murdered my son for nothing. And until we get justice for everyone, I'm not going to be satisfied.”

In November, former Memphis police officer Desmond Mills Jr. reached a similar plea deal with federal prosecutors and pleaded guilty. Prosecutors agreed to recommend a maximum prison sentence of 15 years for Mills.

Both Mills and Martin could be called as witnesses against the final three – Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith – who remain charged with federal civil rights violations and have pleaded not guilty. The judge set a deadline of Monday for any plea deals in the case. Attorneys for the other three officers attended the hearing but left early. Haley's attorney later declined to comment, while attorneys for the other two did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Friday afternoon.

All five former police officers charged in Nichols' death were separately charged with second-degree murder in state court. That trial has been postponed until the federal case is concluded. Mills had previously agreed to plead guilty in state court. Shelby County Attorney General Steve Mulroy issued a statement Friday saying he expected Martin to enter a similar plea in state court in due course.

Nichols was a 29-year-old father from Sacramento, California. He worked with his stepfather at FedEx and enjoyed skateboarding and photography in his free time. Nichols was black.

The five former police officers charged are also black. They were fired after Nichols' murder for violating Memphis Police Department policies.

Martin, the second officer who came into contact with Nichols during the Jan. 7 traffic stop, helped Haley force Nichols out of his vehicle, according to documents filed in the lawsuit seeking to permanently disqualify Martin from working as a Tennessee police officer.

Nichols fled from Martin and his two partners after they threatened and pepper-sprayed him, but was arrested within six minutes. While other officers attempted to handcuff Nichols, who was on the ground, Martin kicked him in the torso and punched him in the face while two other officers held down Nichols' arms, documents show.

Martin's defense attorney, Stephen Ross Johnson, said after the hearing that Martin was “driven by anger” when he “violated Mr. Nichols' civil rights and used excessive force,” but that he was “driven by fear” when he later tried to cover it up – fear of the consequences of his actions.”

“Today we are all witnesses to Mr. Martin taking responsibility for his actions,” Johnson said.

The charges are unrelated to the U.S. Department of Justice's “patterns and practices” investigation into the way police officers in Memphis use force and make arrests, and whether police in the majority-black city engage in racially discriminatory policing.

The Justice Department has also announced a separate review of the Memphis Police Department's use of force, de-escalation strategies and special forces.

In addition, Nichols' mother has filed a $550 million lawsuit against the city and its police chief.

After the hearing, Wells said she hoped the other three officers would also plead guilty so that she and her children would not have to go to trial.

“I hope that after today the other three officers will look in the mirror and look at themselves and say they are guilty because they know it,” she said.

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Loller reported from Nashville, Tennessee.

Jonathan Mattise and Travis Loller, The Associated Press