BLOOMFIELD, Conn. — One of the five Memphis, Tenn. officers charged with murder in the death of Tyre Nichols is from Connecticut, officials said.
Desmond Mills Jr. and four other officers are accused of viciously beating Nichols, a motorist who died three days after a confrontation with MIlls and the officers during a traffic stop on January 7.
The officers, who are all Black, each face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.
Mills is confirmed to have graduated from Bloomfield High School in 2008, school officials said in a statement:
"Bloomfield Public Schools is aware of the disturbing situation involving five police officers in Memphis, Tenn. We can confirm that one of the officers – Desmond Mills Jr. - is a graduate of Bloomfield High School, Class of 2008. We will have no further comment on this, as it is a criminal matter."
Police video depicting the five officers is expected to be released Friday. The other former officers were identified as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith.
Nichols' family members and their lawyers said the camera footage shows Mills and the officers savagely beating the 29-year-old for three minutes. It was an assault that the legal team likened to the 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told a news conference that although the officers each played different roles in the killing, “they are all responsible.”
Memphis Police Director Cerelyn Davis said the officers' actions were "heinous, reckless, and inhumane" and that her department has been unable to substantiate the reckless driving allegation that prompted the stop in the first place.
"As far as I know today, I do believe that the stop itself was very questionable," Davis told Good Morning America.
Davis said she is expecting protests to erupt after the video's release but she urged the community to remain peaceful.
Video of the traffic stop will be released to the public sometime Friday evening, Mulroy said, noting that local and state investigators wanted to complete as many interviews as possible before releasing it. Nichols' family members viewed the footage on Monday.
Martin's lawyer, William Massey, and Mills' lawyer, Blake Ballin, said their clients would plead not guilty. Lawyers for Smith, Bean and Haley could not be reached.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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