Memphis cops to release 20 more hours of footage as part of investigation into Tyre Nichols death

The Justice Department announced that it is reviewing the Memphis Police Department in light of the death of Tire Nichols, an unarmed black man who died in January after being kicked and punched by five police officers.

Nichols, 29, died in hospital after five police officers beat him senseless.

They claimed they were arresting him for reckless driving, but they attacked him repeatedly as he lay on the ground screaming for his mother, then waited 19 minutes to call an ambulance.

Five police officers – Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III, Justin Smith – have been charged with second degree murder and felony assault. They pleaded not guilty last month and are due back in court later this year.

Today, the Memphis Police Department is expected to release another 20 hours of footage, including audio of comments from police officers after Nichols was taken to the hospital.

To coincide with the criminal case against the five police officers, the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Vigilante Services will conduct a review of the department’s practices and make appropriate recommendations.

“In the wake of the tragic death of Tire Nichols, the Department of Justice has heard from police chiefs across the country who are evaluating the use of specialized units and, when used, proper management, supervision, and accountability for such units,” said the Deputy Attorney General. Vanita Gupta.

Wednesday’s announcement comes as the Memphis Police Department prepares to release an additional 20 hours of footage from the aftermath of Nichols’ arrest.

The new files are expected to contain audio of what was said after Nichols was taken to the hospital and in the ambulance.

The officers waited 19 minutes before alerting EMS on January 7.

The five officers involved, all from the Scorpion unit, claim they were arresting Nichols on suspicion of reckless driving.

Those five officers have been criminally charged with second degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.

From the top row from left to right, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, from the bottom row from left to right, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith. All have been charged in Nichols’ death.

Two other police officers were also fired, including one whose dismissal was announced yesterday.

That officer has yet to be named.

Preston Hemphill was the sixth officer to lose his job.

Tire Nichols died in hospital three days after the arrest and beating.

He has not been criminally charged, but was fired after an internal investigation found he violated several department policies, including personal conduct, truthfulness and inappropriate use of his taser.

His father defended him to DailyMail.com, claiming that he and the other accused police officers were just doing their job.

“I agree, it looks bad, but those five officers at the end are doing what they’re supposed to do, they’re doing what they’re trained to do,” the father, Robert Hemphill, told DailyMail.com. .

The five accused police officers pleaded not guilty in court last month.

A lawyer for one of the men later claimed that he was being wrongfully prosecuted as a “black man in the United States”.

‘Let’s not forget that my client is a black man in court in the United States, which is a country where blacks are incarcerated at five times the rate of whites.

‘A country where blacks are 7.5 times more likely to be wrongfully convicted of murder than whites.

‘Much has been said about the ways in which the system has failed Mr Nichols.

Tire’s mother, RowVaughn Wells, said after the hearing that none of the officers had the courage to look her in the eye.

“I will work tirelessly to ensure that the system does not fail Mr. Mills and that a fair result is achieved,” said Mills’ attorney, Blake Ballins.

Preston Hemphill was the sixth police officer to be fired. He was not criminally charged

Nichols was taken to a hospital in an ambulance that left the scene of the beating 27 minutes after EMTs arrived, authorities said.

Police said Nichols was suspected of reckless driving, but no verified evidence of a moving violation has emerged in public documents or video footage.

Memphis Police Director Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has said she has seen no evidence to justify the arrest or the officer’s response.

He dissolved the Scorpion unit, which he created in November 2021, after Nichols’ death.

Another white officer who was involved in the initial traffic stop was fired. An additional officer who has not been identified has been suspended.