The ex-officer pleaded guilty to two felony counts, becoming the first to admit culpability in the fatal beating of Mr. Nichols. As part of a plea deal, he is also expected to cooperate with a state murder prosecution.
The former Memphis officers, who already pleaded not guilty to state charges of second-degree murder, face new charges of civil rights offenses and witness tampering.
Four of the Memphis police officers charged with second-degree murder in Mr. Nichols’s death should never again work in law enforcement in the state, an oversight agency says.