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Outrage after lawyer says cop Desmond Mills may not have been able ‘to see’ during Tyre Nichols' beating

The statement came hours after the City of Memphis released four videos showing officers beating Tyre Nichols, apparently restrained at the time

Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised.

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: The lawyer of Desmond Mills Jr issued a statement urging caution in judging his client’s actions. Desmond is a former Memphis police officer who was detained and imprisoned for the second-degree murder of Tyre Nichols, 29, but later released on a $250K bond. Attorney Blake Ballin defended Desmond by saying that the cop may not have been able “to see” during Nichols' beating. Following this, one of many bashed the statement and wrote, “But he could hear the crying.”

On Saturday, January 28, the attorney released the statement that read, "Some of the questions that remain will require a focus on Desmond Mills’s individual actions; on what Desmond knew and what he was able to see when he arrived late to the scene; on what Desmond knew and what he was able to see after he was pepper sprayed; and on whether Desmond’s actions crossed the lines that were crossed by other officers during this incident. We continue to urge caution and patience in judging Desmond Mills’s actions. We are confident that the questions of whether Desmond crossed the lines that others crossed and whether he committed the crimes charged will be answered with a resounding no," as per New York Post.

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The statement came hours after the City of Memphis released four videos showing officers beating Nichols, apparently restrained at the time, as previously reported. According to the allegations, the victim was violently attacked by the former officer and four other police officers—Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith—after being stopped for a traffic infraction.

Criticizing the statement, an individual asked, "They couldn’t see? So how did the one repeatedly connect with boot shots to Tyre’s head if he couldn’t see?" Another slammed, "WTF does that even MEAN??? And of course it's a LIE."

One continued to point out that even if the cop failed to see, "did it also affect his hearing. Isn't he the guy who got in the car to drive to the second location." Another stated, "Then he was unfit to be a police officer. Next!" While one concluded by saying, "It's sad and there is no excuse for what they did."

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