photo courtesy of AP
The five Tennessee police officers involved in the horrific death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols have been fired for using excessive force. Nichols was arrested and beaten by the officers after being pulled over for reckless driving on January 7. Days later, he succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. The victim’s family alleged that he was tased, viciously beaten, and pepper sprayed multiple times during the traffic stop. During the incident, he reportedly “complained of having a shortness of breath” before an ambulance was called, and he was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
In a statement made by the chief of Memphis police, the department found that the five officers – whose names are Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith – were responsible in some capacity for the tragedy. The report stated that they violated policies “including excessive use of force, duty to intervene, and duty to render aid.”
“The egregious nature of this incident is not a reflection of the good work that our officers perform, with integrity, every day.”
Although an official cause of death hasn’t been released yet, the Tennesse Burea of Investigations is looking deeper into the criminal responsibility of the officers, and a civil rights investigation is underway since his January 10 passing.
“At the request of 30th Judicial District Attorney General Steve Mulroy, TBI special agents are conducting a use-of-force investigation surrounding the arrest of an individual by officers with the Memphis Police Department.