Dec 2023. Blues Vol 39 No. 12

throwing the first pitch with the
help of his wife, Chelsea Moldovan,
and former Diamondbacks
player Luis Gonzalez, according
to the report. Gonzalez, Chelsea
Moldovan, Phoenix Mayor Kate
Gallego and Interim Police Chief
Michael Sullivan all joined Moldovan
on the field.
Video from the World Series
shows Moldovan was able
to stand up with the help of a
walker to deliver the pitch.
FORMER MEMPHIS OFFICER
AGREES TO PLEAD GUILTY IN
TYRE NICHOLS CASE
One of five former Memphis
police officers charged in the
beating death of Tyre Nichols has
agreed to change his not guilty
plea in state and federal court
on Thursday.
Desmond Mills Jr. agreed to
plead guilty to federal charges
of excessive force and obstruction
of justice, as well as related
state charges related to death of
Nichols in January, the Shelby
County District Attorney’s Office
said.
As part of the plea deal, federal
and state prosecutors will
recommend a sentence of 15
years, though U.S. District Judge
Mark Norris will make the final
decision at a later sentencing
hearing. After Mills is sentenced
in May on the federal charges, he
will then plead guilty to the state
charges, Fox News reports.
Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy
said the whole deal hinges
on Mills’ full cooperation in both
the state, federal criminal, and
federal civil cases.
Mills and four other officers –
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley,
Emmitt Martin and Justin Smith
– were charged
with excessive
force and failure
to intervene,
deliberate indifference
after
being caught on
video kicking,
punching and
striking Nichols
with a baton on
Jan. 7. Nichols
died three days
later at a hospital.
FLORIDA’S
LAW ENFORCE-
MENT RECRUITMENT EFFORTS
SURPASS $22M IN BONUSES
By Joanna Putman, Police1
TALLAHASSEE, FL. — A law enforcement
recruitment program
is believed to have brought new
officers to Florida from all 50
states and two territories, Florida’s
Voice reported.
The Florida Law Enforcement
Recruitment Bonus Program offered
a $5,000 bonus to anyone
who became a law enforcement
officer in the state or transferred
to Florida from another state.
The state’s budget set aside $20
million for the program during
its legislative session, the Washington
Examiner reported.
The bonuses awarded have
already surpassed that number,
according to the Florida’s Voice
report. The state has given out
$22.5 million in more than 3,350
bonuses to new or newly transferred
officers since the program’s
launch.
Of the Florida officer recruits,
915 transferred from out of
state, according to the report.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has
encouraged officers throughout
the country to move to Florida
if they feel unsatisfied with their
departments, even putting up
billboards near Chicago.
Forty-seven officer transfers
to Florida came from Illinois,
according to the report.
OFFICERS WHO STOPPED
SCHOOL KILLER HONORED AT
FOX NATION PATRIOT AWARDS
Five police officers from the
Metro Nashville Police Department
were honored for saving
others during the Covenant
School shooting and immortalized
in a portrait by American
painter Steve Penley at the 2023
Fox Nation Patriot Awards.
Det. Michael Collazo, Officer
Rex Engelbert, Det. Sgt. Jeff
Mathes, Det. Ryan Cagle and Det.
Zachary Plese were awarded
the first-ever T2T (Tunnels to
Towers) Stephen Siller Award
for their heroic response to the
school shooting in Nashville earlier
this year, Fox News reports.
On March 27, 2023, police responded
after Audrey Elizabeth
Hale began shooting at students
66 The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue