Memphis officials have identified and fired a white police officer who participated in the brutal killing of Tyre Nichols.
The delay in the decision prompted criticism from the public and attorneys for the slain man’s family.
On Monday, Memphis Police Department’s Maj. Karen Rudolph said the officer was placed on desk duty on Jan. 8, one day before Nichols, 29, succumbed to injuries sustained by the hellish police beating he endured. However, Preston Hemphill’s name was not made public.
To the contrary, the five Black officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith, all had their names and photos shared by Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis on Jan. 20, when the agency tweeted a public statement announcing their terminations and the charges against them.
On Tuesday, prominent civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing the family, brought to light Hemphill’s participation in the beating based on the recently released footage— noting the former officer stunned the motorist with his Taser.
Crump asked in a statement released on Twitter, “Why is his identity and the role he played in Tyre’s death just now coming to light?”
“We have asked from the beginning that the Memphis police department be transparent with the family and the community – this news seems to indicate that they haven’t risen to the occasion,” the lawyer continued.
“It certainly begs the question why the white officer involved in this brutal attack was shielded and protected from the public eye, and to date, from sufficient discipline and accountability.”
Even though Hemphill was excluded in the first statement regarding the investigation, he was mentioned in a police report from the incident.
“Officer Preston Hemphill and the other officer’s actions and inactions have been and continue to be the subject of this investigation,” Rudolph said.
Officials…
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