One of the Memphis police officers involved in the deadly arrest of Tyre Nichols was found to have a history of jail brutality, where he took part in the savage beating of an inmate.
Several years before the latest case of police brutality, officer Demetrius Haley was accused of being a part of an assault of an inmate along with 34 other individuals. His alleged act was so disturbing that the entire cellblock, 34 others, signed a letter to the corrections director.
History of Jail Brutality
In the letter, the inmates said they were asking for the matter to be investigated before someone else gets hurt or dies due to some unprofessional officers. The warning from dozens of inmates locked up at the Shelby County jail is the most recent development in the case of Nichols.
It is the clearest indication that at least one of the five officers involved in Nichols' deadly arrest had a past event that should have already raised concerns before he was employed as a law enforcement personnel, as per the Associated Press.
The inmates' letter also questioned how they should feel "safe and secure when the staff members at the Shelby County Correctional Center are assaulting and threatening us?" It concludes by urging management to stop the "madness."
Shelby County officials did not reply to requests for comments regarding the discovery when asked about the investigation related to that particular letter. This means that it is still unclear whether or not Haley received disciplinary actions or was cleared of the assault.
On Friday, an email was sent to a police spokesperson asking if the department had any knowledge about the allegations when the officer was hired. The situation comes with no national database listing officers who are found guilty of misconduct who either resign or get fired.
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Tyre Nichols' Death
With Nichols' death, Haley is now facing a charge of second-degree murder alongside other Memphis police officers. They have previously been identified as Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III, Tadarrius Bean, and Justin Smith, according to WMTW.
The group of officers also faces accusations of policy violations, including the use of minor physical force in an arrest and faiilure to fill out a form regarding the incident, failure to report a domestic violence incident, as well as a car crash.
The situation about the jail beating surfaced because the victim of that incident, who was identified as one Cordarlrius Sledge, in 2016, filed a federal lawsuit against Haley and two other individuals. The victim accused two officers, including Haley, of punching him and the third of pushing his head into the floor.
Haley then continued to be a part of the Division of Corrections' workforce until he was hired by Memphis Police in 2020. It was a time when the department reduced its hiring standards for recruits as officials tried to fill in vacancies. Based on the police officer's records in his personnel file, he previously applied to the department but was rejected, the reason for which he was blacked out, said CP24.
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