A Memphis judge on Friday postponed the state court trial of four former Memphis police officers charged in the killing of Tyre Nichols until a federal trial against them concludes, The Associated Press reported.
The delay comes after the former officers’ attorneys requested the judge postpone the state trial so as not to “hinder the officers’ rights to defend themselves in both cases,” the outlet continued. The federal trial is set for September 9.
Four out of five former officers indicted on federal charges pleaded “not guilty” to violating Nichols’ civil rights and attempting to cover up their alleged crimes. Two of the charges brought against the officers carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The five former officers—Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Hadley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith—were charged with the murder of Nichols in January 2023 after being fired from the Memphis Police Department for their alleged conduct.
Additionally, the former officers belonged to the now-defunct SCORPION unit, which had a history of violent encounters, a lack of oversight from the police department, and a tendency to disregard standard protocol and department policy, The Tennessee Star reported at the time.
Four of the five officers had past disciplinary complaints, including accusations of using excessive force, The Star also reported.
A federal grand jury indicted the former officers in September 2023 on four counts, including violating Nichols’ right to freedom from unreasonable force, violating Nichols’ right to freedom from an officer’s “deliberate indifference” to his medical needs, conspiring to cover up their use of unlawful force to their superiors and others, and obstruction by misleading MPD officers tasked with reporting on Nichols’ arrest, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
In November 2023, Mills—the only officer to do so—pleaded guilty to two of the four counts on which he was indicted in a plea agreement, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice. The government recommended that Mills serve no more than 15 years in prison with no chance of parole due to imprisonment in the federal system, the release continued.
Mills admitted to beating Nichols with a baton, watching Nichols being beaten by other officers, neglecting to provide medical aid to Nichols though Mills knew Nichols was in need, and providing false information to cover up his actions.
Mills’ lawyer said Mills would also plead guilty in state court, the APÂ reported.
A conviction in the federal case could prove more severe for the former officers. The highest state-level charges against them—second-degree murder—do not hold the possibility of a lifetime prison sentence, but the federal charges of violating constitutional rights do.
In 2022, Memphis ranked as the city with the fifth highest crime cost per capita, according to an analysis by MoneyGeek using statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Matthew Giffin is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Matthew on Twitter/X.
