Tyre Nichols: Three emergency workers fired over response to father-of-one after he was beaten by police | US News
Three rescuers were fired for responding to police beating Tyre Nichols.
The Memphis Fire Department said it fired two paramedics and an ambulance driver after an investigation found they failed to provide proper medical attention.
Mr Nichols was left in critical condition after being punched, kicked and clubbed by several police officers in Memphis, Tennessee after being pulled over on January 7 on suspicion of reckless driving.
The 29-year-old man died three days later from his injuries.
The fire department said in a statement that Robert Long and JaMichael Sandridge were unable to make an “adequate assessment of the patient” Mr. Nichols.
He added that the couple, along with Lieutenant Michelle Whitaker, who drove two paramedics to the scene and remained in their car after arriving, were fired for violating department rules.
Left to right: Robert Long, Michelle Whitaker and JaMichael Sandridge. Photo: Memphis Fire Department
Five black police officers were fired and charged with second-degree murder and other crimes related to Mr. Nichols’ death.
The five officers chatted and wandered for several minutes while the father of one remained on the ground, but there were other authorities on the scene.
In body camera footage released by Memphis Police., Mr. Nichols yelled “mom, mom” several times while being beaten. The footage shows police officers beating Mr. Nichols with a stun gun, a baton, and fists.
In body camera footage from the initial stop, White Officer Preston Hemphill is heard saying he tasered Mr. Nichols and stating, “I hope they rub his ass.”
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“I didn’t do anything,” pleads Tyre Nichols.
Memphis police said Monday that Officer Hemphill was suspended from his pay position pending a hearing.
The seventh officer, whose name has not been released, was “released from service” without pay, the law enforcement agencies added.
No criminal charges were brought against Hemphill or the unnamed officer.
A police department spokesman declined to comment on why the suspension had not been announced earlier.
Read more:
What is the Scorpio Police Unit?
How was the violent arrest of Tyre Nichols
While the police initially stated that Mr. Nichols was pulled over for reckless driving, they later stated that an investigation into the incident could not “substantiate” the reckless driving claim.
Mr. Nichols’ death sparked outrage in the US over police brutality, and protests took place in a number of cities.
The five retired officers and Officer Hemphill were part of a Scorpion unit that pursued violent criminals in high crime areas.
The Specialized Police Unit was finally disbanded on Saturday following the assassination of Mr. Nichols.
