Statement from Nichols Legal Team on Desmond Mills Jr. changing plea to guilty in federal case

Statement from attorneys Benjamin Crump and Antonio M. Romanucci, and the Nichols legal team:

"Desmond Mills Jr.'s plea today is entirely consistent with our allegations in the civil lawsuit against the City of Memphis. We stand strong in our belief that these officers, including Mills, acted at the direction of a policy that not only violated the civil rights of innocent civilians but which caused needless pain to many.

The MPD and its SCORPION unit directed, trained and encouraged officers like Mills to commit baseless and horrific acts of violence against innocent individuals like Tyre Nichols. We vigorously restate our assertion that those policies were behind what ultimately caused Mills and four other Scorpion officers to kill Tyre Nichols.

Mills was not an individual actor, and as our civil suit continues to unfold that will become even more apparent."