A former Memphis cop charged with the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols has pleaded guilty to all state and federal charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and official misconduct, and now faces up to 15 years in prison. According to Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy’s office, Desmond Mills was caught on video with four other officers brutally bashing Nichols, a Black man, after a spurious traffic stop on Jan. 7, 2023. He then failed to provide any medical help and lied to supervisors about the incident. Mills is the first officer to take a plea deal, with the other four pleading not guilty. Lawyers Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, who represent the Nichols family, said in a statement, “The MPD and its SCORPION unit directed, trained, and encouraged officers like Mills to commit baseless and horrific acts of violence against innocent individuals like Tyre Nichols.”
