Documents released Tuesday show that one of the former Memphis police officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols took and shared photos of the bloodied victim.
According to documents released by the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission, Demetrius Haley stood over Nichols as he was held up against a police car and took pictures. Haley then sent the photos to other officers and a female acquaintance.
“Your on-duty conduct was unjustified, grossly unprofessional and unbecoming of a sworn public servant,” the Memphis Police Department wrote of the five officers charged in Nichols’ death. They should be confirmed. The newly released documents are part of a petition to decertify the officers and bar them from working in law enforcement again. Memphis Police Chief Cyrillin “CJ” Davis signed five petitions to decertify the officers.
Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Tadarius Bean, Justin Smith and Emmett Martin III have all been charged with second-degree murder in Nichols’ death last month.
Ex-Memphis cop allegedly beat inmate in 2015 death of Tyree Nichols
A Memphis police officer charged in the death of Tyre Nichols took and shared photos of the bloodied victim, documents released Tuesday show. (City of Memphis via AP, File)
Another officer has also been fired and a seventh has been relieved of duty in connection with a Jan. 7 traffic stop that resulted in the victim’s death.
Officials announced Tuesday that 13 officers may face disciplinary action.
Authorities said in a statement that Haley forced Nichols into her car to abuse her and then sprayed the victim with a chemical irritant in her eyes.
“You never told the driver the purpose of the stop or that he was under arrest,” the decertification statement reads.
Haley did not have her body camera on when she pulled Nichols over but was on a phone call with a person who overheard her remarks.
DOJ to review Memphis Police Department’s ‘special units and use-of-force policies’ after Tyr Nichols death
Nichols was allegedly stopped by police for “reckless driving.” Officers said a “collision occurred” during the traffic stop and Nichols attempted to flee the scene. The officers grabbed Nichols and began kicking, punching or batting him. During the beating, Nicholas complained of difficulty in breathing. He was taken to hospital in critical condition and died on January 10.
Footage captured on a utility pole camera shows an officer using his phone to take a photo of Nichols as a flashlight shines on him.
“You and other officers were captured on body-worn cameras making several unprofessional comments, laughing, and bragging about your involvement,” the decertification charges against Mills state. “You admitted that you did not provide first aid and walked away and doused yourself with a chemical irritant spray.”
Tyree Nichols was just minutes from his home in Memphis, Tenn., on January 7, 2023, when he was pulled over and fatally shot by police. (Courtesy of Nichols Family via AP)
Mills was also accused of later giving a false account of the incident to Nichols’ mother.
Martin claimed Nichols tried to grab the gun from the officer’s holster as another officer pulled him out of the vehicle, and Martin grabbed Nichols’ wrist to help. But the documents state that the video evidence does not support the allegation that Martin attempted to grab the gun.
Audio from the body camera found no evidence that Nichols used profanity or made violent threats. Instead, he appeared calm and polite in his statements to the officers. However, Martin became abusive towards Nichols and threatened to knock him out as he demanded Nichols put his arm behind his back.
Martin also failed to mention in the required form that he punched Nichols in the face and kicked him multiple times. He later said in a statement to investigators that he “threw blows to the body,” the documents state. Video footage shows Martin repeatedly kicking Nichols and punching him multiple times in the face while two other officers hold the victim’s arms.
According to the charges, Martin’s oral and written statements were fraudulent, police said.
Tyree Nichols’ death: Memphis police officer who allegedly used Taser ‘charged by department’
Memphis Police Department officers Demetrius Haley, Tadarius Bean, Emmett Martin III, Desmond Mills and Justin Smith were fired for their roles in the Jan. 18 arrest of Tyree Nichols, the victim. (Memphis Police Department)
Writing about Smith, a hearing officer wrote, “You admitted that you struck an unarmed and non-violent subject two to three times in the face with a closed fist as you and your partner attempted to handcuff him. were unable to … you sprayed the subject. You sprayed a chemical irritant and also grabbed the man’s arm while the other officers kicked, punched and pepper-sprayed him several times.”
Smith defended his actions in a letter included in his file, claiming that Nichols was “violent and would not comply.”
Bain is accused of holding Nichols by one arm while another officer pepper-sprayed him and hit him with a baton. The charges also point to a video captured by a citizen showing Ben’s indifference to Nichols’ suffering after the incident.
Nichols’ family attended Tuesday’s State of the Union address as guests of First Lady Jill Biden.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read full article here