“It certainly begs the question why the White officer involved in this brutal attack was shielded and protected from the public eye.”

Why is his identity and the role he played in Tyre’s death just now coming to light?” attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci said in a statement Monday. “The news today from Memphis officials that Officer Preston Hemphill was reportedly relieved of duty weeks ago, but not yet terminated or charged, is extremely disappointing. The seventh officer has not been publicly identified.Īttorneys for Nichols’ family wonder why authorities were quick to fire five Black police officers and charge them with murder - while staying relatively quiet about Hemphill’s role in the encounter. “He was never present at the second scene” that escalated to the beating, and Hemphill has been cooperating with the investigation, his attorney Lee Gerald said. Later, Hemphill says to another officer: “I hope they stomp his ass.” That body-cam video does not show Hemphill at the second site, where the county’s district attorney has said Nichols was beaten and suffered his serious injuries. One of the body-cam videos reveals Hemphill - at the site of the initial traffic stop - fired a Taser at Nichols and eventually said, “One of them prongs hit the bastard.” The city on Friday released body-camera and pole-camera surveillance footage of the initial traffic stop and the beating at the second site. Memphis police spokesperson Kimberly Elder declined to say whether Hemphill is being paid. Police on Monday named one of the two officers, Preston Hemphill, who is White, and said he has been on administrative leave since the beginning of the investigation. Memphis police said Monday that a sixth and a seventh officer were placed on leave with the other five on January 8 - and those two officers still are subjects of an internal investigation. One officer said, ‘I hope they stomp his ass’ Pole-camera video released Friday shows that between the time the EMTs arrived and the ambulance arrived, first-responders repeatedly walked away from Nichols, with Nichols intermittently falling onto his side.Īlso Monday, the police department announced that seven officers were placed on leave the day after the beating - two more than previously announced.įive of the officers - all of whom are Black - were fired January 20 and then indicted last week on second-degree murder and other charges.

and left with Nichols 13 minutes, according to the fire department. to find Nichols on the ground leading against a police vehicle, and called for an ambulance at 8:46 p.m. The truck carrying the EMTs arrived at the second scene at about 8:41 p.m. The fire department said earlier this month that the two EMTs had been suspended pending an internal investigation. Whitaker had remained in the fire truck, according to the chief’s statement. Nichols” after responding based on both the initial call - in which they heard a person was pepper-sprayed - and information they were told at the scene, Sweat said in a news release. Michelle Whitaker have been fired, the fire department said Monday.Īn investigation concluded that the two EMTs “failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Mr. The beating has fueled broader public scrutiny of how US police use force, especially against people of color.Įmergency medical technicians Robert Long and JaMichael Sandridge and fire Lt. He died three days later of his injuries, the Tennessee Bureau Investigation has said.

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