A second former Memphis police officer on Friday pleaded guilty to civil rights violations in the beating death of motorist Tyre Nichols in 2023.

Former officer Emmitt Martin changed his plea in federal court, entering guilty pleas to using excessive force and witness tampering, NBC News reported. Prosecutors say they will ask for a 40 year sentence when Martin is sentenced in December.

“Emmitt Martin was driven by anger when on January 7 of 2023, he admits that he violated Mr. Nichols’ civil rights and used excessive force,” Martin’s attorney, Stephen Ross Johnson, said. “He was driven by fear when he later attempted to cover that up — fear of the consequences of what he had done.”

Nichols, a 29-year-old amateur photographer, was on his way home on January 7 when members of the Memphis Police Department’s Scorpion Squad — which has since been disbanded — stopped him for an alleged traffic violation, dragged him out of the vehicle while screaming obscenities at him, tased him, and then chased him into a neighborhood when he tried to get away, as CrimeOnline reported.

There, the officers pummeled him repeatedly. pepper sprayed his face, hit him with a baton, kicked him, and then cuffed him and leaned the barely conscious man against a car while they congratulated themselves on the take down.

The entire incident was captured by a police camera on a pole above the scene as well as the officers’ body camera.

Nichols died in a hospital three days later. An autopsy ruled his death a homicide from blunt force trauma and detailed multiple injuries, including an acute kidney injury, liver failure, multiple brain injuries, and severe injuries to his neck and torso.

Five officers — Martin, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith — were fired and charged with federal and state charges related to Nichols’ death.

Two other officers were fired but not charged, and one supervisor was allowed to retire before he could be fired. Three fire department employees were also fired.

in November, Mills pleaded guilty in federal court  to excessive force and obstruction of justice. He agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and faces up to 15 years in prison, NBC reported.

Trials for the remaining three officers are set to begin next month, and Mills and Martin could both be called to testify if they don’t reach a deal before a Monday deadline, according to CBS News.

All five still face second degree murder charges in state court. Those trial have been postponed until the federal proceedings have been completed.

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[Featured image: Tyre Nichols/Ben Crump]