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

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A former Memphis police officer testified under a plea deal Wednesday that he helped cover up the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols because he wanted to protect his job, and was hoping Nichols would survive and the scrutiny of the officers would simply “blow over.”

Desmond Mills returned to the stand for a second day in the trial of three former colleagues, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who are charged in the fatal beating. Mills and another former officer, Emmitt Martin, have testified for prosecutors after pleading guilty.

In his testimony Wednesday, Mills said he was “going along with the cover-up ... hoping for the best” and hoping that Nichols would survive and “this whole thing would blow over.” Mills said he told his supervisor on the night of the beating that the Nichols arrest was handled “by the book.”

Nichols died in the hospital on Jan. 10, 2023, three days after the beating.

“I had a lot at stake. I needed this job for my family,” Mills said.

Mills noted during his November guilty plea hearing that he has three young children. On Wednesday, he said he was thinking about his wife and kids in the aftermath of the beating. His testimony came a day after he said through tears that he was sorry about the beating of Nichols, saying, "I made his child fatherless.” Nichols' son is now 7 years old.

The officers used pepper spray and a Taser on Nichols, who was Black, during a traffic stop, but the 29-year-old ran away, police video shows. The five officers, who also are Black, then punched, kicked and hit him about a block from his home, as he called out for his mother.

Mills said the officers had a “non-verbal, mutual agreement” to not disclose the punches and kicks delivered to Nichols in required written forms known as response to resistance reports. He said they also lied about Nichols driving into oncoming traffic and “aggressively resisting” officers “to make us look better.”

In his report, Mills did include his own actions: He pepper sprayed Nichols and hit him with a baton.

Mills said he and his fellow officers failed to intervene and to render aid, and he did not tell doctors who treated Nichols about the use of force officers had employed.

Under cross-examination by Bean’s lawyer, Mills acknowledged that he did not jump in to help Bean and Smith put handcuffs on Nichols or stop Martin from punching him.

Mills and Martin have acknowledged lying to internal police investigators about their actions and Nichols’ behavior.

John Keith Perry, Bean's attorney, followed a line of questioning used by defense attorneys when they questioned Martin, asking whether Department of Justice prosecutors helped them with their testimony during pre-trial meetings.

Perry asked Mills if he believed that prosecutors would seek a reduced sentence if he “did what the government told you to do.”

“Yes,” Mills said.

An autopsy report shows Nichols died from blows to the head. The report describes brain injuries, and cuts and bruises on his head and elsewhere on his body.

Haley, Bean and Smith pleaded not guilty to federal charges of excessive force, failure to intervene, and obstructing justice through witness tampering. They face up to life in prison if convicted.

The five officers also have been charged with second-degree murder in state court, where they pleaded not guilty. Mills and Martin are expected to change their pleas. A trial date in state court has not been set.

Haley's lawyer, Michael Stengel, showed Mills his agreements with state and federal prosecutors. Mills acknowledged that his deal in state court calls for him to serve the same amount of time as he would receive in his federal sentence. His state prison term would run at the same time as his federal sentence, Mills acknowledged.

Associated Press reporter Jonathan Mattise contributed from Nashville, Tennessee.

RowVaughn Wells, center, mother of Tyre Nichols, listens during a news conference outside the federal courthouse during the trial of three former Memphis police officers accused of killing her son Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

RowVaughn Wells, mother of Tyre Nichols, closes her eyes during a prayer vigil outside the federal courthouse during the trial of three former Memphis police officers accused of killing her son Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Attorney Ben Crump, third from left, speaks during a news conference the federal courthouse during the trial in the Tyre Nichols case Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Former Memphis police officer Desmond Mills, left, arrives at the federal courthouse with his attorney Blake Ballin, right, to testify against his former colleagues during the trial in the Tyre Nichols case Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Former Memphis police officer Desmond Mills, left, arrives at the federal courthouse with his attorney Blake Ballin, right, to testify against his former colleagues during the trial in the Tyre Nichols case Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week fell to the lowest level in four months.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that applications for jobless claims fell by 4,000 to 218,000 for the week of Sept. 21. It was the fewest since mid-May and less than the 224,000 analysts were expecting. Last week's figure was revised up by 3,000.

The four-week average of claims, which evens out some of weekly volatility, fell by 3,500 to 224,750.

Applications for jobless benefits are widely considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs in a given week.

Weekly filings for unemployment benefits have fallen two straight weeks after rising modestly higher starting in late spring. Though still at historically healthy levels, the recent increase in jobless claims and other labor market data signaled that high interest rates may finally be taking a toll on the labor market.

In response to weakening employment data and receding consumer prices, the Federal Reserve last week cut its benchmark interest rate by a half of a percentage point as the central bank shifts its focus from taming inflation toward supporting the job market. The Fed’s goal is to achieve a rare “soft landing,” whereby it curbs inflation without causing a recession.

It was the Fed’s first rate cut in four years after a series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023 pushed the federal funds rate to a two-decade high of 5.3%.

Inflation has retreated steadily, approaching the Fed’s 2% target and leading Chair Jerome Powell to declare recently that it was largely under control.

During the first four months of 2024, applications for jobless benefits averaged just 213,000 a week before rising in May. They hit 250,000 in late July, supporting the notion that high interest rates were finally cooling a red-hot U.S. job market.

U.S. employers added a modest 142,000 jobs in August, up from a paltry 89,000 in July, but well below the January-June monthly average of nearly 218,000.

Last month, the Labor Department reported that the U.S. economy added 818,000 fewer jobs from April 2023 through March this year than were originally reported. The revised total was also considered evidence that the job market has been slowing steadily, compelling the Fed to start cutting interest rates.

Thursday's report said that the total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits rose by 13,000 to about 1.83 million for the week of Sept. 14.

A hiring sign for employment at FedEx is seen, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Grimes, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)