An analysis of the personnel records of the five officers included mainly procedural violations, car accidents and accidental damage of department equipment for four of the officers.
Preston Hemphill, one of two MPD officers suspended in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols in addition to five officers who have been fired, was a member of the now-disbanded SCORPION unit, court records show. Seventh MPD officer relieved of duty as more personnel actions are ‘imminent'Related stories:
President Joe Biden told the family last week he would make passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in Congress a priority.Related story:
Rev. Al Sharpton will give Tyre Nichols’ eulogy.
The initial information released by police in the Tyre Nichols case differed significantly in some respects from what was shown on video footage released to the public last week.
Leaders of the sunset protest demanded the names of every officer involved in Nichols’ death and that they all be charged. Meanwhile, the parents of Nichols were among a smaller group that gathered Monday evening in the Brandywine subdivision where Nichols was beaten by police the night they stopped him.
A seventh Memphis Police officer under investigation and off the job is not identified. But police brass say he and officer Preston Hemphill have been relieved of duty since the day after Tyre Nichols was beaten by police in southeast Memphis.
Three Memphis firefighters have been fired for violating “numerous” department protocols in the treatment of Tyre Nichols, the Memphis Fire Department announced.
News of Preston Hemphill being relieved of duty caused attorneys representing the family of Tyre Nichols to question the level of transparency provided by the Memphis Police Department.Related story:
The Memphis Police Department confirmed Monday, Jan. 30, that Officer Preston Hemphill has been relieved of duty and it plans “to have additional information to share ... once it becomes available.”
The Daily Memphian analyzed the earliest available footage of the Nichols traffic stop in detail, creating a moment-by-moment timeline of the Memphis Police Department officers’ increasingly aggressive responses, even as Nichols himself remains calm and compliant.
The Memphis Police Department’s SCORPION unit, which MPD announced Saturday is being disbanded, is reminiscent of a controversial defunct unit in Atlanta over which MPD Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis was once in charge. Related story:
The crowd at Handy Park heard Downtown Memphis Commission President Paul Young ask, “the question for our city is: what are we going to next?”
MPD released a tweet Saturday that said: “In the process of listening intently to the family of Tyre Nichols, community leaders and the uninvolved officers ... it is in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate the SCORPION Unit.”
“I was just trying to turn a negative into a positive. That’s my main goal today.”
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. announced the suspensions and investigation Friday, Jan. 27, after viewing the video of the incident.
Protesters blocked the I-55 bridge for hours. Traffic was backed up as far as I-40 and Elvis Presley Boulevard. By 10 p.m., traffic was moving again on I-55. Some protesters returned to Martyrs Park.
These videos contain content that may be upsetting to sensitive viewers. In the footage, Nichols can been seen being restrained, beaten, Tasered and pepper sprayed by MPD officers.
When Kirstin L. Cheers, director of communications for BRIDGES, learned of the release of the Tyre Nichols’ arrest video, she quickly mobilized to try to help.
Mayor Jim Strickland said an outside review of MPD’s special units will likely determine if police culture needs to change or if more training is the answer. Reaction to charges in Tyre Nichols case echo calls for justice Here’s what’s closing early Friday ahead of Tyre Nichols footage releaseRelated stories:
MPD’s Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis talked to The Daily Memphian about why they are releasing the video footage Friday evening, whether the National Guard will be brought in and how she thinks these latest events will affect recruiting. Earlier in the day, she also discussed the fire department’s role in Nichols’ death.
Attorney Ben Crump called for the response from the Memphis Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office to serve as a model for police reform across the country. Nichols family attorneys call for end to SCORPION unit, others like it At a somber vigil for Tyre Nichols, anger is directed toward change Here’s what’s closing early Friday ahead of Tyre Nichols footage releaseRelated stories:
President Joe Biden and local officials speak ahead of the release of police video of the arrest of Tyre Nichols. Much of the reaction followed the filing of second-degree murder charges against five Memphis Police officers.
A court date has been set for the five police officers accused in the death of Tyre Nichols. All posted bail less than 24 hours after being booked in Shelby County Jail.
Here’s a list of places and entities that plan to close early Friday in light of the City of Memphis’ planned release of Tyre Nichols/MPD footage.