Federal Trial of Memphis Officers Continues

Former Memphis police officer Emmitt Martin III testified in the federal civil rights trial of his colleagues, providing a detailed account of the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols. Martin admitted that Nichols posed no threat and was not resisting arrest when he was violently beaten, contradicting initial police claims. He revealed an unspoken agreement among the officers to lie about the incident. Martin, who accepted a plea deal, admitted to punching Nichols multiple times out of anger and testified about the aggressive culture within the SCORPION Unit. Other officers, if convicted, could face life sentences for charges including excessive force and witness tampering. The trial continues as Martin, and potentially other officers who took plea deals, testify against their former colleagues.