After five Memphis police officers violently beat Tyre Nichols last month, one officer grabbed two cell phone photos of the injured 29-year-old Black man and texted at least five individuals with one of the images, according to newly disclosed internal police department documents.
According to records published online by CNN affiliate WMC, Demetrius Haley, one of five policemen who was dismissed and charged with murder in Nichols' death, admitted to texting a photo to two other Memphis officers and a "female acquaintance," among others.
Tyre Nichols Pictured While Injured, Needs Help
The internal records accuse the officers of many wrongdoing and policy breaches before, during, and after the January 7 contact with Nichols. Sharing the photo was only one of the numerous allegations included therein.
The police records collectively accuse the officers of stopping Nichols without informing him why, using excessive force, turning off or otherwise covering their body-worn cameras, "laughing and gloating" about the beating, and then misrepresenting investigators.
Up to 20 hours of new footage linked to the fatal police beating of a 29-year-old Black man in Memphis has not yet been provided, according to the prosecution.
Five decertification request letters, one for each officer, were issued by the police department to a state agency that monitors policing standards last month. If they are decertified, they would be unable to work for other state law enforcement agencies, as per ABC7.
In the letters, Nichols is depicted as a peaceful, unarmed individual who presented no substantial threat to the cops. Three days after the beating, he passed away.
The letters indicate that all five officers were charged internally for breaking the department's regulations on personal behavior, negligence of duty, disproportionate or needless force, and body-worn cameras. Some were additionally accused of further offenses. The allegations are not criminal.
According to the records, all five cops refused to provide comments to the administrative hearing officer, who finally ordered their dismissal. A sixth officer has also been terminated.
The officers were all former members of the SCORPION unit, which has since dissolved. In addition, the Fire Department terminated the employment of two EMTs and a lieutenant for their unsatisfactory response to the event.
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The Memphis city attorney revealed on Tuesday that seven additional officers are anticipated to face administrative discipline in connection with the case, which is one of the most recent examples of the worldwide scrutiny of police use of force against persons of color, especially Black Americans.
The documents span more than a hundred pages and demonstrate for the first time the persistent misbehavior of each officer. They demonstrate that Haley, the officer who removed Tyre Nichols from his vehicle, never stated the reason for the stop to the 26-year-old, as per NY Times.
According to the records, they used excessive force when they tasered, pepper sprayed, punched, kicked, and beat Nichols with a retractable baton, leaving him wounded and needing immediate medical assistance.
According to the investigation, as Nichols was arrested and leaned against an unmarked police vehicle, Haley stood over him and snapped two photographs. He then sent them by text to a female acquaintance, a civilian employee, and two fellow police.
The identity of the fifth receiver is not specified in the paper, but a sixth victim was uncovered through an inquiry. The records detail how Haley and the other cops "laughed and boasted" about their role in the event while Mr. Nichols lay wounded on the ground. Contrary to the officer's assertions, it states that Mr. Nichols never swore at them or made "violent threats."
Per BBC News, Haley is also accused of making "false" statements and omissions in his incident report, such as neglecting to indicate that he booted Mr. Nichols when he was on the ground. In addition to the five cops charged with murder, a sixth officer has been dismissed, and a seventh officer has been suspended.
A city attorney stated on Tuesday that up to 13 Memphis police officers might be penalized for "policy infractions." Three emergency medical personnel have also been terminated for failing to provide Tyre Nichols with sufficient treatment.
Tyre Nichols' death provoked protests in the United States, and within days after his death, the Memphis Police Department abolished its so-called Scorpion team, of which all the officers were members.
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