MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Former SCORPION officer Desmond Mills finished his testimony in the third consecutive day of being on the stand in the trial of three former Memphis Police Department officers.
Mills has pleaded guilty in the case, as well as Emmitt Martin.
Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith and Demetrius Haley are on trial in the United States District Court, each facing four counts of deprivation of rights under the color of law through excessive force and failure to intervene, and through deliberate indifference; conspiracy to witness tampering; and obstruction of justice through witness tampering.
Cross examination of Mills continued in day 14 of the trial with the former officer agreeing to several things from Smith’s attorney, Martin Zummach.
Zummach asked if a handcuff was snatched away while on one wrist, it could be considered a deadly weapon and could lead to deadly force being authorized.
Mills also agreed that “necessary force” can be very ugly and violent.
Zummach said it was his understanding that Mills never participated in a “run tax.”
Mills said he could recall if Smith or Bean ever did.
During an interview with the government, Mills said he told investigators that when he heard the radio call for the stop, he thought it might be, “bulls-.”
Zummach asked if he was angry after spraying himself with pepper spray, would him being told to stop or not said hit him, would it have helped.
Mills said there’s a possibility.
“I lost my composure,” Mills said about spraying himself. “I felt like I was panicking.”
Zummach asked about the Nichols stop, and how Mills previously said seeing the punches made him sad.
“Everything makes me sad,” Mills said.
During cross examination, Mills was asked about his work with Smith and agreed they had similar values and ideas on policing.
Prosecutors mentioned this when asking Mills why he decided to plead guilty.
“The first time I watched the video with my attorney, I couldn’t hold it anymore,” Mills said. “I want to make it right.”
Mills agreed with prosecutors that it wasn’t a fight with Nichols, he could’ve tried to stop it and that he “knew excessive force was used.”
