The Memphis Police Department disciplined a sixth officer for his role in the brutal beating and arrest of Tire Nicholsa spokeswoman for the police force said Monday.
Police officer Preston Hemphill was relieved of his duty shortly after Nichols’ arrest on January 7, who died three days later at a hospital, Memphis police spokeswoman Karen Rudolph said. She did not disclose Hemphill’s role in the arrest.
Rudolph said no information on the disciplinary action taken against Hemphill has been released at this time since the officer was not fired and the department generally releases information on officers who are released from duty after the investigation is complete. .
In Photos | Protests over the death of Tire Nichols
Tire Nichols, a 29-year-old black man, died three days after being severely beaten by police officers in Memphis, Tennessee. The case has sparked protests in various parts of the United States.
Nichols’ family and others who are following the developments surrounding his brutal arrest and murder in Memphis were awaiting word on additional disciplinary action against the officers who were on the scene but had not been fired or charged.
A video posted on Friday showed five Memphis Police Department officers using a stun gun, a baton and their fists against Nichols during an arrest the night of January 7 after a traffic stop on suspicion of reckless driving. In the video, Nichols, a 29-year-old father, is heard screaming for his mother and is seen severely beaten and sitting helplessly on the pavement. Three days later he died in a hospital.
The five police officers involved were fired and charged with second-degree murder and other crimes stemming from the arrest, which has shocked many with its brutality and reignited calls for police reform across the country.
Memphis police and the Shelby County District Attorney said an investigation is ongoing into the actions of the officers who showed up at the scene of the arrest.
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