MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A federal judge ruled that sentencing will be postponed for former Memphis Police officer Desmond Mills, who accepted a plea deal and testified in the federal trial for three other ex-officers in the beating death of Tyre Nichols.
An attorney for Desmond Mills filed a motion Oct. 15, 2024, requesting the former police officer's sentencing date be postponed until Feb. 2025. The filing by attorney Blake Ballin said the defendant requests the sentencing hearing be reset to allow the defense additional time to prepare. According to the filing, United States attorney Forrest Christian had no objection to the request.
The judge agreed, and set a new sentencing date of Feb. 20, 2025, for Mills. A deadline for objections to the pre-sentencing report was set for Feb. 6.
Mills was one of five former Memphis Police Department officers and member of the now-defunct SCORPION unit indicted in the death of Tyre Nichols. Mills was the first of two officers to accept a plea deal in the federal case, and testified during the trial against three other officers.
Nichols was stopped by officers on Jan. 7, 2023 and ultimately died three days later at St. Francis Hospital.
Those three former MPD officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, were ultimately found guilty on a variety of charges during the nearly four week trial.
Bean and Smith were both found guilty of one count from the indictment, obstruction of justice.
Haley was found guilty on lesser charges for counts one and two, deprivation of rights resulting in bodily injury and deliberate indifference resulting in bodily injury. Haley was also found guilty on counts three and four, conspiracy to commit obstruction and obstruction.
Mills struggled to speak during a portion of his testimony after watching the video of Nichols being struck and his breath began to quiver. He didn’t answer the question from prosecutors on who was using excessive force and cried.
“I wish I would’ve stopped the punches. It hurts to watch. It hurts inside so much,” Mills said. “It felt bad every time the picture is on the screen to know I’m a part of that. I made his child fatherless. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I know sorry won’t bring him back but I pray his child has everything he needs growing up.
“Food clothes, everything. … I wish I didn’t see it.”
His recommended sentence is for 15 years in prison.