In a surprising turn of events, court documents reveal that a former Memphis police officer, Emmitt Martin III, is set to change his not-guilty plea to federal charges connected to the brutal beating and subsequent death of Tyre Nichols last year. The officer's decision comes less than three weeks before his scheduled trial was to begin. This comes after another former officer, Desmond Mills Jr., pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and excessive force charges in a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Emmitt Martin III is among several former officers who were indicted on federal civil rights, conspiracy, and obstruction charges in September of last year. A change-of-plea hearing has been scheduled for Martin on Friday, in which he is expected to appear in federal court. The specifics of any plea agreement with prosecutors and its terms remain unclear at this time.

The other three officers involved in the case, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith, have all pleaded not guilty to both federal and state charges related to the death of Tyre Nichols. The federal trial for these officers is set to begin on September 9th in Memphis.

The incident in question occurred on January 7, 2023, when Memphis police officers stopped Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, as he was driving home from work. The encounter quickly escalated into a violent encounter, as officers kicked and pummeled Nichols despite his lack of resistance and pleas for them to stop. Mr. Nichols passed away in the hospital three days later, with an autopsy ruling his death as a homicide caused by blows to the head.

The release of surveillance footage and body camera recordings capturing the brutality of the incident shocked the nation and the city of Memphis. Subsequently, all five officers involved, who were also Black, were swiftly fired by the Memphis Police Department. In response to the incident and the failure to provide medical care for Nichols, the Scorpion unit, to which all officers belonged, was disbanded. The city also implemented administrative punishments and terminations within the police and fire departments.

Emmitt Martin III, who initially pleaded not guilty to charges in both federal and state court, now faces the possibility of changing his plea. The federal grand jury indictment accuses the former officers of deprivation of rights under color of law, witness tampering, obstruction, and misleading officials about the events surrounding Nichols' death. On the state level, the five officers are facing charges including second-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and official misconduct.

As part of Desmond Mills Jr.'s plea deal with federal prosecutors in November, he agreed to fully cooperate with the state case. This cooperation was expected to include pleading guilty to some state charges and potentially testifying against the other officers.

In addition to the ongoing legal proceedings, the family of Tyre Nichols has filed a lawsuit against the City of Memphis and the Police Department, seeking justice for their loved one.

At the time of writing, there has been no comment from Emmitt Martin III's lawyer, William Massey. The change-of-plea hearing on Friday is likely to shed more light on the developments in this high-profile case.

The city of Memphis anxiously awaits the resolution of these cases, hoping for justice to be served and for accountability to prevail in the tragic death of Tyre Nichols.