Sixth Memphis Police Officer Fired In Connection With Tyre Nichols' Death

Officer Preston Hemphill “violated multiple department policies,” the police department said.
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The Memphis Police Department announced Friday it had fired a sixth officer from the force after further investigating the death of Tyre Nichols last month.

Officer Preston Hemphill “violated multiple department policies,” the police department statement said, including those related to “personal conduct” and “truthfulness.”

Nichols, a 29-year-old Black father, died in the hospital after being beaten by several officers on Jan. 7 in Memphis, Tennessee, in a confrontation that began with a traffic stop. Five officers were fired Jan. 20 and were charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault, among other charges. The later release of videos from police body cameras and other footage further inflamed tensions over brutal police tactics.

Hemphill, who is white, joined the Memphis department in 2018. News of his firing comes days after the department said he’d been relieved of duty but did not disclose Hemphill’s role in Nichols’ arrest.

The Memphis Police Department confirmed Friday that “multiple” officers are still under investigation for their involvement in the arrest.

“Updates regarding other actions will be made available in the coming days,” the department added.

Earlier this week, the Memphis Fire Department announced that it, too, had fired three employees in connection with Nichols’ death. The two emergency medical technicians and a lieutenant had responded to the scene of Nichols’ arrest on Jan. 7.

So far, only five people ― former Memphis police officers Desmond Mills, Justin Smith, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Emmitt Martin ― have been charged. However, the Shelby County district attorney’s office indicated earlier this week it’s considering bringing charges against additional people and continues to investigate what happened the night of Nichols’ fatal beating.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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