The white Memphis police officer who was involved in the initial arrest of Tyre Nichols has been fired.
The Memphis Police Department said in a statement that Preston Hemphill, 26, who had been relieved of duty, was terminated for violations of personal conduct, truthfulness, compliance with regulations concerning a taser, compliance with regulations concerning equipment and inventory and processing recovered property.
“After a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding this incident, we determined that Officer Preston violated multiple department policies,” the department said.
Hemphill was the officer seen on bodycam video firing a stun gun at Nichols as he ran away from police during the first confrontation after the traffic stop. Hemphill’s attorney said he never went to the location of the second confrontation where five officers brutally beat Nichols.
Nichols was hospitalized in critical condition and died three days later.
The five officers were fired after an investigation found that they had violated the department’s use of force policy. They were also charged with second-degree murder and other counts relating to Nichols’ death. Hemphill has not been charged with a crime.
Six officers have been fired from the department so far and another unnamed officer was ‘relieved of duty’ following the fatal beating.
The department said in the statement Friday that multiple MPD officers are still under investigation for “departmental policy violations.”
Additionally, the Memphis Fire Department fired three of its employees who responded to the scene.
Members of the Tennessee Emergency Medical Services Board voted unanimously on Friday to suspend the licenses of the two E.M.T.s, Robert Long and JaMichael Sandridge, for their failure to provide adequate emergency care to Nichols for about 19 minutes after arriving at the scene, according to The New York Times.
The third employee, Michelle Whitaker, a lieutenant in the fire department drove them to the scene and remained in the vehicle after arriving.
