Ex-officer says he went along with 'cover-up' of fatal beating hoping Tyre Nichols would survive

A former Memphis police officer has testified under a plea deal that he told his supervisor the arrest of Tyre Nichols was handled “by the book” because he wanted to protect his job and hide a beating that was ultimately fatal for Nichols. Desmond Mills returned to the stand for a second day in the trial of three former colleagues, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith. Mills and another former officer, Emmitt Martin, have testified for prosecutors after pleading guilty in the January 2023 fatal beating. Mills testified that he was going along with the cover-up and hoping that Nichols would survive. Nichols died three days after the beating.