Author: David K. Li and Juliette Arcodia

Former Memphis police officer Emmitt Martin changed his plea to guilty in connection to the beating death of Tyre Nichols, a case involving alleged civil rights violations. This follows another officer, Desmond Mills Jr., who pleaded guilty to excessive force and obstruction of justice charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. The victim’s mother, RowVaughn Wells, expressed relief at the acknowledgment of guilt and shared a poignant memory of her last text exchange with Nichols. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died after a traffic stop where multiple officers were recorded using excessive force against him. The incident sparked outrage and…