Emmitt Martin III, a former Memphis Police officer, took the stand yesterday to testify against his former colleagues in the trial concerning the death of Tyre Nichols. Martin provided an account of the ill-fated traffic stop that led to the beating of Nichols, as well as an alleged cover-up of the incident. He detailed not having a radar to verify Nichols' speed before pursuing him and admitted that although Nichols was not violently resisting, he was assaulted by officers, as reported by WREG.
Martin further disclosed his emotional state on the day of the incident, revealing that he had returned to duty for the first time since being hit by a car just days earlier. "I was seeing red. I was angry. I wanted some type of revenge," Martin confessed, according to WREG. His account goes on to acknowledge an understanding among officers not to report the punches thrown, highlighting a pact of mutual silence: "I not gonna put them in a situation where they are gonna get in trouble. We had an understanding."
The trial resumed today with Martin continuing his testimony, as described by Action News 5. Martin admitted to exaggerating the severity of the traffic stop to other officers, leading to Nichols being treated as a felony suspect despite this not being the case. Important details emerged like body cameras not being turned on during the initial encounter with Nichols and varying commands being issued that disregarded Nichols' responses. Martin pointed out noncompliance with MPD policy by not informing Nichols as to why he was being detained.
Separate from Martin's testimony, the trial also featured a cross-examination of Second Lt. Larnce Wright, who discussed the training received by the officers involved. Wright emphasized that Nichols' situation should have been low-risk and that the officers failed to de-escalate as per their training. In a stark portrayal of the department's internal struggles, he disclosed that pursuit without a violent felony is not permitted, a contrast to the actions taken by officers during the Nichols traffic stop. Body-camera footage further corroborated the absence of reckless driving, according to statements from Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis, as per ABC News. The same report notes that the three officers charged, Bean, Haley, and Smith, have pleaded not guilty, while Mills and Martin have pleaded guilty to several federal charges.
