MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A former Memphis police officer testified Tuesday that he punched a “helpless” Tyre Nichols at least five times while two colleagues held his arms and said “hit him,” then lied to his supervisor about their use of force in a beating that proved fatal . Emmitt Martin III testified that he was at the traffic stop on Jan, 7, 2023, when Nichols was pulled over and yanked from his car.
Nichols fled, and Martin said Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith gave chase and were punching the 29-year-old man without their handcuffs out when Martin caught up with them. “They were assaulting him,” Martin said Tuesday. Bean, Smith and Demetrius Haley have pleaded not guilty to charges that they deprived Nichols of his civil rights through excessive force and failure to intervene, and obstructed justice through witness tampering.
The four men, along with Desmond Mills Jr., were fired by the police department after Nichols' death. The beating was caught on police video, which was released to the public.
The officers were later indicted by a federal grand jury. Martin and Mills have taken plea deals and are testifying against their former colleagues. Jurors watched video clips as Nichols' mother and stepfather, RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, sat outside the courtroom.
RowVaughn Wells has never seen the video. Nichols’ brother watched the video inside. Martin said he was angry that Nichols had run from the traffic stop, and that the team had not yet made any arrests .