Former Memphis officer charged in Tyre Nichols death to change plea in federal court

By ADRIAN SAINZ
Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A former Memphis police officer is changing his plea from not guilty on federal charges that he violated Tyre Nichols’ civil rights when he was fatally beaten after a traffic stop in January. Court documents show a change of plea hearing has been scheduled for Thursday for Desmond Mills Jr. Mills and four other former Memphis Police Department officers have been charged in federal court with using excessive force and conspiring to lie after they were caught on camera punching, kicking and hitting him with a police baton on Jan. 7. Nichols died three days later in a hospital. The five former officers also heave pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in state court.