Death of Tyre Nichols: Memphis officials to release more video today after saying 7th officer was fired



CNN

On Wednesday, officials in Memphis are expected to release about 20 more hours of video footage of the police fatal beating in January. Sheena Nichols — as well as some records of the city’s completed internal investigation into 13 police officers and four firefighters, a Memphis spokesman said.

The expected release comes a day after an official said a seventh police officer had been fired and others were suspended or fired following a violent confrontation in the western Tennessee city. Previously, authorities said six officers were fired, five of them criminal charge.

The city’s internal investigation into the beatings has been completed, so the city intends to release additional footage Wednesday afternoon, Memphis General Counsel Jennifer Sink told a City Council committee Tuesday morning.

The unreleased footage will primarily include audio of what was said after the beating and after Nichols was taken by ambulance to the hospital, which could play a role in the investigation as his office looks into additional allegations. V the district attorney previously told CNN.

Nichols, a 29-year-old black man, was repeatedly punched and kicked by Memphis police officers after a traffic stop and a brief foot chase on Jan. 7. Nichols was hospitalized after being beaten and died three days later.

Five police officers, who are also black, were fired after an internal investigation and were charged with criminal charges on January 26.

Video footage from body cameras and footage from surveillance cameras during the detention were released January 27, demonstrating to the public the brutality of the beating and drawing widespread condemnation from residents and police officers. The video shocked a country long accustomed to police brutality, especially against people of color, and sparked protests. and vigils in Memphis and other major US cities.

Video released in January. contradicts what the officers say in the initial police report filed after Nichols’ beating, the district attorney said, and sparked a renewed nationwide debate about fairness in policing and reform.

In early February, Shelby County Attorney Stephen Mulroy told CNN correspondent Wolf Blitzer that a video released in Januaryrelevant partsabout the initial stop and beating after the chase, but footage that has yet to be released could play a role in the investigation.

Potential “false reporting” allegations related to initial police report under investigation, Erica Williams, spokesperson for Mulroy’s office, told CNN around the same time.

When asked if any of the new ones would face criminal charges now that the city’s investigation is complete, Williams told CNN on Tuesday: “Not right now.” Mulroy’s office formerly told CNN he will wait until the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation completes its investigation before deciding on additional charges.

Tyre Nichols died three days later in the hospital.  He was 29.

The city will also release on Wednesday some records relating to internal investigations of 13 police officers and four fire officials, including documents pointing to the subject of an investigation, Sink said.

Other investigative files have information that needs to be redacted and will be posted online when completed, she added, without specifying a timeline.

But Sink had already announced the results on Tuesday: seven police officers were fired, three were suspended, one resigned, and two were dropped as a result of the investigations, she said.

This was the first time the city had announced the dismissal of a seventh officer. The name of this person and the details of what the officer is accused of are not immediately disclosed.

In addition, an officer who retired would most likely be fired, Sink said, without specifying what he was accused of.

City officials have previously said that three Memphis firefighters who arrived at the scene – two emergency medical technicians and a fire department lieutenant – were killed. dismissedalthough no one has been prosecuted. On Tuesday, Sink said a fourth fire department official had been suspended from duty. The sink did not specify.

The two fired medics did not conduct an initial examination of Nichols during the first 19 minutes while they were at the scene, and the lieutenant remained in the fire truck. in accordance with State emergency medical service.

The council member asked Sink if the person who hit Nichols was a member of the police or the fire department.

“No. All these officers … have been charged with a criminal offense,” Sink said.

Five former Memphis police officers were charged in January. brought to criminal responsibility on February 17..

Five former Memphis police officers face criminal charges in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols.  Above: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III.  Bottom: Desmond Mills Jr., Justin Smith.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr. each faces charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, misconduct and official harassment. Second-degree murder in Tennessee is considered a Class A felony, punishable by 15 to 60 years in prison.

Their lawyers pleaded not guilty on their behalf. They are due back in court on May 1.

The five accused officers were part of the SCORPION unit, which was created in 2021 to combat the rise in violent crime in Memphis. Shortly after the video of Nichols’ arrest was released in January, Memphis police announced that the unit would be permanently deactivated in a sign that the department was taking “preemptive steps in the process of healing all victims.”

In February, police identified a sixth officer who was fired. Preston Hemphill, white, says he was accused of violating department policy. including those relating to personal conduct and truthfulness.

Sink said on February 7 that seven officers, in addition to the six dismissed at that time, faced disciplinary action. for breaking the rules. Tuesday’s announcement concerns disciplinary decisions for all 13.

In addition, two Shelby County Sheriff’s Offices MPs present at the scene have been suspended from work. for five days each without pay for participation in the case, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office obtained by CNN affiliate WHBQ.