More than a dozen Memphis fire and police department employees have been charged in connection with the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, a city official said Tuesday at the conclusion of its investigation into Nichols’ January death.
Memphis Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Sink said both agencies have been conducting administrative investigations to determine if any employees violated department policies.
Four Memphis Fire Department personnel were charged, Sink said at a presentation before the Memphis City Council’s Public Safety Committee.
Three of the employees were fired, Sink said, and one was suspended. It’s not clear what their exact charges are. Sink said more information will be released Wednesday, along with 20 hours of video and audio from the Jan. 7 beating.
The three fired employees were previously identified as EMTs Robert Long, JaMichael Sandridge and Lt. Michelle Whitaker. The fire department said in a statement that they were found to have violated multiple department policies and protocols in their response to Nichols.
The fourth employee has not been identified.
The city’s investigation also resulted in 13 employees with the police department being charged, although two ultimately had their charges dismissed, Sink said.
Seven of them were terminated, three received suspensions, and one chose to resign, according to Sink.
Five of police officers were previously fired and criminally charged for their involvement in Nichols’ death. They are Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith. They were all charged with second-degree murder, two counts of official misconduct, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of official oppression and one count of aggravated assault.
Preston Hemphill and another unnamed officer were “relieved of duty.”
Police initially said they pulled over Nichols, 29, for reckless driving but Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis said her office has found no proof to substantiate the…
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