According to a tweet from the verified Twitter account of the Memphis Police Department, five officers were fired by the Memphis Police Department in connection to Tyre Nichols’ death. He was arrested earlier in the month and died in hospital.
“The egregiousness of this incident does not reflect the integrity of our officers, with integrity every single day,” Cerleyn Davis, chief of Police, stated in a statement.
An internal review by investigators found that the officers had violated the policies regarding use of force, duty of intervention, and duty to render assistance. The chief stated.
According to an attorney’s statement, Nichols’ family supported the terminations.
“We stand with Tyre’s family and support the Department’s decision not to fire the five officers who abused him, eventually resulting in his death.” Attorneys Antonio Romanucci and Ben Crump said that this is the first step in achieving justice for Tyre’s family. They must also be held responsible for the murder of this man’s life and of his son.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating whether officers’ actions were criminal.
The Memphis Police Association said that it would not comment on the firing of officers in the Tyre Nicks case because of ongoing criminal investigations. “The Memphis citizens, and most importantly, the Nichols family, deserve to be able to see the full story of what happened leading up to Nichols’ death and the factors that may have contributed to it.”
The FBI and the Department of Justice have also opened civil rights investigations.
The police department reported that officers pulled over a motorist on January 8 for reckless driving. According to a social media statement, officers confronted the driver of the car and the suspect fled on foot.
According to police, officers pursued the suspect and tried to take him into custody again when another confrontation took place before the suspect was arrested.
“The suspect complained that he was having trouble breathing. An ambulance was dispatched to the scene. Officials said that the suspect was taken to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Nichols died a few days later.
We are unable to release details about Nichols’ injuries or cause of death. TSP reached out to Shelby County’s coroner.
Officials from the city announced Tuesday that the body-worn video recordings of the officers will be made public after an internal investigation by the police department is complete and after the family has had a chance to view the recordings.
Crump stated that Friday’s footage will be available to the family. He also said that Monday’s news conference is planned for Monday.
