5 Memphis cops fired for death during traffic stop

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Three emergency medical responders who responded to the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols were terminated Monday after an internal investigation, the Memphis Fire Department said.

Robert Long, JaMichael Sandridge, and Lt. Michelle Whitaker were found to have violated multiple department policies in their patient response to Nichols on Jan. 7, the department said in a statement.

"Their actions or inactions on the scene that night do not meet the expectations of the Memphis Fire Department and are not reflective of the outstanding service the men and women of the Memphis Fire Department provide daily in our community," the department said.

The department was dispatched to the scene of Nichols' traffic stop at 8:31 p.m. after police had called due to a "person pepper sprayed" at the scene, the department noted. Long, Sandridge, and Whitaker were dispatched to a second location and arrived to find Nichols leaning against a police vehicle 10 minutes after the call.

Long and Sandridge responded to Nichols while Whitaker, who was driving, remained in the vehicle, the department said.

"Our investigation has concluded that the two EMT's responded based on the initial nature of the call (person pepper sprayed) and information they were told on the scene and failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Mr. Nichols," the department said.

I can't watch things like this anymore. It hurts my mental health. I've never seen the whole the George Floyd video. I can't watch what is happening in Ukraine. I get too upset after I see suffering and injustice. I mute the TV whenever Donald Trump or his allies are talking.

I always vote for progressive policies but I know I can't do anything else about the U.S. craziness going on right now. I don't see any hope of a solution or even an improvement. Somebody must be making money off the suffering of innocent people. It makes me sick.

I think my autism makes me overly sensitive to violence and suffering. I'm trying to protect myself. I think it I'm better off for it.

A sixth Memphis police officer has been fired in connection with the violent arrest and death of Tyre Nichols last month, the department announced Friday.

Memphis police said that former officer Preston Hemphill was fired after a "thorough review" found that he violated "multiple department policies," including "personal conduct" and "truthfulness." He also violated regulations regarding the use of a Taser, "issued equipment," and "inventory and processing recovered property."

Earlier this week, Hemphill was one of two more officers who were placed on administrative leave in connection with the Nichols' case. The other officer has not been identified. Hemphill had been with the department since March 2018, police said.

The five former Memphis Police officers charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Tyre Nichols were arraigned in court Friday morning.

It was a packed courtroom when all five former officers were there as well as Tyre Nichols’ family who sat feet away. The judge asked everyone to pack their patience, saying emotions will run high throughout this case.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith were all terminated by the Memphis Police Department on January 21. They are charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated kidnapping. The unit those officers belonged to, known as the SCORPION Unit, was disbanded shortly after Nichols’ death.

All entered pleas of not guilty. They didn’t answer WREG’s questions, and none of them spoke in court. The next court date is set for May 1, and the judge said the case may take some time.

“This is the beginning of the process,” said Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, after the hearing. “I want each and every one of those police officers to look me in the face. They did not do that today.”

Everyone involved wants this case to be concluded as quickly as possible and that includes Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy.

“We are trying to expedite as much as possible. we will be ready to try the case within a reasonable about of time. I don’t think the DA’s office will be the cause for any delays,” District Attorney Steve Mulroy said.

Nichols’ family, along with attorney Ben Crump, addressed the media in a press conference after the hearing.

“It’s important that we move swiftly toward justice, so we don’t want there to be any unnecessary delays in prosecuting this case,” Crump said.

Good. More of this needs to happen.


Just read an article about a guy that 7-8 VPD officers beat to death several years ago that’s still being investigated.

The guy was delivering flowers for a florist when he saw a woman watering her lawn when she wasn’t supposed to be (water conservation in summer) and called her out for it, she called the cops, cops came and beat him to death - so severely that the coroner couldn’t pinpoint cause of death, and w/o cause of death, so far no charges for the cops.

All 7 or 8 of those cops belong in jail for what they did. VPD have beaten and killed a lot of people w/o justification. They killed a guy a few months ago with beanbag rounds to the chest because he didn’t comply with their orders.. he couldn’t comply - he was the victim of being bear maced and was flailing about requiring assistance. He Couldn’t stop flailing on the ground and witnesses told police that. They blasted him anyways - being an Indigenous man in a rough part of town likely played a part, too.

All of our cops should be wearing body cams to keep them in line doing their jobs, not playing Judge Dredd.

The other part - about society being brutal and Hobbesian - this is why we make lethal force illegal for citizens and then appoint that to a body whose held to strict standards in implementing violence. It's really important for us to make sure that this part of civilization is working correctly much like it's a really big problem if education gets thoroughly corrupted, these are institutions we depend on for our society's going concern.

About 20 more hours of police video and audio in the Tyre Nichols case will be released Wednesday afternoon, according to City of Memphis Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Sink.

In a Tuesday city council meeting, Sink announced that the internal investigations resulted in four Memphis Fire Department personnel being charged, and 13 Memphis Police Department personnel being charged. According to Sink, these are not criminal investigations, but rather administrative investigations.

Of the 13 MPD personnel charged, seven were terminated, three officers received a suspension, two had their charges dismissed and one individual resigned in lieu of termination, Sink said. The charges and disciplinary decisions will be officially posted on Wednesday alongside the latest round of released footage, she said.

The Memphis police supervisor on scene when Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by officers retired with his benefits the day before a hearing to fire him, according to documents filed to revoke his law enforcement certification.

Lt. DeWayne Smith was identified Friday in records obtained by media outlets as the officer that officials said earlier this month had retired before his termination hearing.

Some Memphis City Council members were upset an officer was allowed to retire before steps could be taken to fire them, including the council's vice-chairman JB Smiley Jr., who said it didn't seem fair that the then-unidentified officer could keep pension and other benefits.

"I just don't like the fact that his parents are paying this officer to go on and live and that's troubling," Smiley said.

The attorney for Nichols' family said the department should not have let Smith "cowardly sidestep the consequences of his actions" and retire after 25 years.

The Memphis police supervisor on scene when Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by officers retired with his benefits the day before a hearing to fire him, according to documents filed to revoke his law enforcement certification.

Lt. DeWayne Smith was identified Friday in records obtained by media outlets as the officer that officials said earlier this month had retired before his termination hearing.

Some Memphis City Council members were upset an officer was allowed to retire before steps could be taken to fire them, including the council's vice-chairman JB Smiley Jr., who said it didn't seem fair that the then-unidentified officer could keep pension and other benefits.

"I just don't like the fact that his parents are paying this officer to go on and live and that's troubling," Smiley said.
Memphis Police Force Investigation
The image from video released by the city of Memphis shows police officers talking after a brutal attack on Tyre Nichols on Jan. 7, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee. Nichols died on Jan. 10 from his injuries. City of Memphis via AP

The attorney for Nichols' family said the department should not have let Smith "cowardly sidestep the consequences of his actions" and retire after 25 years.

"We call for Memphis police and officials to do everything in their power to hold Lt. Smith and all of those involved fully accountable," attorney Ben Crump said.

The decertification documents against Lt. Smith reveal additional details about his actions that night.

Smith heard Nichols say "I can't breathe" as he was propped up against a squad car, but failed to get him medical care or remove his handcuffs, according to the report.

Smith also didn't get reports from other officers about using force and told Nichols' family he was driving under the influence even though there was no information to support a charge, the documents said. Investigators said Smith decided without evidence that Nichols was on drugs or drunk, and video captured him telling Nichols "you done took something" when he arrived at the scene.

Additionally, Smith did not wear his body camera — violating police department policy. His actions were captured on the body cameras of other officers, documents said.

Preston Hemphill, the white officer seen on body camera footage during Tyre Nichols' traffic stop, will not be charged in Nichols' death, according to Hemphill's attorney.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy also announced Tuesday that he will not bring any criminal charges against Hemphill in connection with the case.

Nichols, 29, died three days after he was beaten by officers during a January traffic stop in Memphis.

Hemphill, who was not present at the beating, was fired from the Memphis Police Department in February for violating "multiple department policies" during the incident, the department said.

Mulroy said the decision to not press charges followed a "thorough investigation," including reviewing hours of body worn camera footage and interviewing witnesses.

"By no means do we endorse the conduct of officer Hemphill at that first traffic stop," Mulroy said. "But we do not believe that criminal charges are appropriate."

Mulroy said Hemphill has been cooperative throughout the investigation and expects that he will testify at trial in the case.

The district attorney said he spoke with Ben Crump, the attorney for the Nichols' family, Monday night, and that the family supports the decision not to press charges against Hemphill.

"It is our deepest hope and expectation that justice will be served fully, and that all who had a role to play in this senseless tragedy will be held accountable," Crump said in a statement read by Mulroy during a press briefing announcing his decision.

Mulroy said Tuesday that Nichols' autopsy is almost complete and that his office expects it to confirm that Nichols "died as a result of the injuries sustained in the beating."

Hemphill was among the first officers to encounter Nichols during the Jan. 7 traffic stop. He deployed his Taser during the confrontation and in his own body camera video is seen chasing Nichols down the road, but then turns back to the scene of the initial traffic stop. Hemphill was heard on his body camera video saying twice, "I hope they stomp his a--," after Nichols fled the scene of the initial traffic stop.

Mulroy said that upon extensively reviewing the footage from the scene, prosecutors determined that from Hemphill's perspective, at the moment he deployed his Taser it appeared as if Nichols was heading toward an open police cruiser car door as he fled the scene.

"That had to bear weight on our evaluation of his decision," Mulroy said.

Mulroy said Hemphill's comments were also made after his interaction with Nichols and "had no direct causal relationship to any injuries that Mr. Nichols sustained."

"We do not endorse Mr. Hemphill or his attitude, but what we have to decide is what we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he did that is in violation of a criminal statute," Mulroy said.

Three former Memphis police officers were convicted Thursday of federal witness tampering charges related to the deadly beating of Tyre Nichols in 2023, according to NBC News affiliate WMC.

Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith and Taddarius Bean were accused of depriving Nichols of his rights through excessive force, obstructing justice through witness tampering and other crimes. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Haley was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to witness tamper and one count of obstruction of justice for witness tampering. Bean and Smith were found guilty on only one count, obstruction of justice for witness tampering, WMC reported

None of the men were found guilty of the counts of deprivation of rights under color of the law for excessive force and for failure to intervene or deliberate indifference, but Haley was convicted of the lesser counts for each, which involved bodily injury, WMC reported.

The judge ordered the officers to be taken into custody. He planned to hold a hearing Monday to hear from the defense lawyers about releasing them pending sentencing.

The witness tampering charges carry possible sentences of up to 20 years in prison. The civil rights charge against Haley carries up to 10 years in prison. They had faced up to life in prison if convicted on the harshest charges.

Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, told reporters as she exited the courthouse that she was in shock but happy that all of the men were convicted of at least one charge.

"All of them have been convicted of something, and they’re all going to jail. That’s how I feel," Wells said. "This has been a long journey for family."

Two other former officers, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., pleaded guilty to the same charges.

Mills took a plea deal in which prosecutors call for up to 15 years in prison.

Martin testified that Nichols was “helpless” while officers pummeled him, and that afterward the officers understood “they weren’t going to tell on me, and I wasn’t going to tell on them.” Under his plea agreement, prosecutors will suggest a prison sentence of up to 40 years.

Prosecutors accused the former officers of viciously beating Nichols, 29, after a traffic stop on Jan. 7, 2023, even though body camera video of the assault showed Nichols posed no threat to the officers.

“They stood by his dying body and laughed,” one of the prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Rogers, told the jury during opening statements. Then “they silently agreed to lie about it to cover it up.”

Mills, who took a plea deal in which prosecutors call for up to 15 years in prison, testified against his former colleagues during the four-week trial and acknowledged striking Nichols with his baton three times. The former officer wept as prosecutors showed body camera video of other officers punching and kicking Nichols.

“I made his child fatherless,” Mills said of Nichols. “I’m sorry.”

Nichols, who had a young son, died in a hospital three days after the beating. An autopsy report listed his cause of death as blows to the head.

The officers also face charges of second-degree murder in state court. They pleaded not guilty, though Mills and Martin are expected to change their pleas to guilty.