Ex-officer says police 'exaggerated' Tyre Nichols' behavior during traffic stop
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A former Memphis police officer, who pleaded guilty last month to federal charges in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols, testified Monday that officers had "exaggerated" Nichols' behavior and that Nichols posed no threat to officers during a traffic stop that quickly escalated into a violent beating.
Emmitt Martin III was called to testify Monday in the federal trial of his three former colleagues — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith Jr. — who are accused of violating Nichols' civil rights after a traffic stop. Nichols, 29, who was Black, was pulled over on Jan. 7, 2023, and beaten by five now-former officers with the Memphis Police Department.
The three defendants in the case are charged with using excessive force, deliberate indifference, conspiracy to witness tamper, and witness tampering. The two other defendants, Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., pleaded guilty to using excessive force and conspiracy to witness tamper ahead of the trial.
As part of their plea deals, Martin and Mills are testifying against the other defendants. Martin's testimony was the first time jurors heard from one of the officers involved in the beating, in which he detailed the events that preceded Nichols being pulled over.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ex-officer-says-police-exaggerated-025932867.html