Report: Former Conn. cop who beat Tyre Nichols lied about what happened
In a report obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media Group before a judge this week placed a temporary ban on the release of more documents and video footage in the Tyre Nichols case, investigators determined Bloomfield High School grad Desmond Mills Jr. beat the 29-yearold with a baton and lied to the man’s mother about what happened.
As the federal Department of Justice begins a probe of the Memphis police use of force, de-escalation and specialized units, a judge on Wednesday sided with defense attorneys who said in a court filing the release of more footage and documents could have far-reaching effects for the five former officers charged with second-degree murder in the case.
Previously released videos show the five Black former police officers beating and taunting Nichols, a Black man who died three days after the Jan. 7 traffic stop.
Mills struck Nichols three times with a baton while the 29-year-old was on the ground, according to a Memphis Police Department Internal Affairs investigation that led to his termination.
According to the documents obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media, Mills also made “unprofessional comments, laughing and bragging about his involvement,” as the injured Nichols was still on the ground with no medical help.
The conversation and “lack of concern” for Nichols was witnessed by a civilian who took photographs and cellphone video, the report said.
Mills also admitted to investigators that he used pepper spray twice on Nichols because the other officers “were unable to handcuff” him, according to the report.
“Your actions were captured on video evidence,” the internal affairs investigation report said. “Although you did not assist with handcuffing the subject, your use-of-force behavior was excessive, unnecessary and caused serious bodily injury.”
All five officers are accused of providing false accounts of the incident even though their own body cameras contradict what they told Memphis internal affairs investigators, the report stated.
The investigation also concluded that Mills failed to provide Nichols’ mother with an accurate account of her son’s encounter with police or his condition, the documents show. Mills is also accused of leaving Nichols without help as he decontaminated himself from the pepper spray used on the 29-year-old and failed to provide accurate information to medics, the documents said.
Mills also removed his vest, which is where his body camera was located at some point during the encounter, investigators noted. All four allegations lodged against Mills in the internal affairs investigation — use of excessive force, personal conduct, neglect of duty and compliance with body worn camera regulations — were sustained, the documents said.
“You used excessive and unnecessary force to apprehend a non-violent suspect following a traffic stop where the person sustained critical injuries and later expired,” the investigation concluded. “Your on-duty conduct was unbecoming and you neglected your duty to render aid and provide viable details to the emergency medical personnel.”
Six officers have been fired along with some firefighters and medics as a result the traffic stop and the events that unfolded afterward.
The five officers, including Mills, and officers Tedarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith were charged Jan. 26 and have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. The former officers were part of a specialized street crime suppression detail called the Scorpion Unit, which has been disbanded since Nichols’ death.
Their attorneys filed a motion Wednesday, seeking a protective order to prevent the city from releasing more videos or documents connected with the case. A judge sided with the defendants, banning the release of video, audio, reports and city of Memphis employees personnel files related to the Nichols investigation, including the results of administrative hearings. The judge said releasing these items must be delayed “until such time as the state and the defendants have reviewed this information.”
The city has already released documents regarding the administrative hearings that led to the terminations and the officers’ disciplinary records.
The DOJ also announced Wednesday that it will review the city’s use of force, de-escalation and specialized unit policies at the request of Davis and Strickland. The review will be handled by the Justice Department’s Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center, or COPS office. The office has been given more than $20 billion to advance community policing in the U.S., according to the Associated Press.
“In the wake of Tyre Nichols’ tragic death, the Justice Department has heard from police chiefs across the country who are assessing the use of specialized units and, where used, appropriate management, oversight and accountability for such units,” Associate Attorney General Vanita Guta said in a statement issued Wednesday.
“The COPS Office guide on specialized units will be a critical resource for law enforcement, mayors and community members committed to effective community policing that respects the dignity of community members and keeps people safe. The department is also pleased to be able to fulfill Memphis’s request for technical assistance on the police department’s use of force and deescalation policies, as well as the use of specialized units.”
The office will issue a public report outlining its findings and recommendations after the review is completed, officials said.