Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty
The white officer involved in Tyre Nichols’ fatal arrest last month has been fired from the Memphis Police Department, according to The Hill.
In a statement tweeted Feb. 3, the department said that Preston Hemphill was terminated from the force for several violations including “personal conduct, truthfulness, compliance with regulations concerning a taser and compliance with regulations concerning equipment and inventory.”
In the startling bodycam footage released last month, Hemphill was seen firing a stun gun at Nichols after he fled from police when they tried to forcefully detain him at a traffic stop.
“After a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding this incident, we determined that Officer Preston violated multiple department policies,” the department said.
Hemphill pulled Tyre Nichols out of the vehicle during his initial traffic stop
Hemphill is the sixth Memphis police officer to be fired from the department for Nichols’ horrific Jan. 7 arrest. Shortly after the video surfaced, the five Black officers involved; Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills and Justin Smith, were fired and charged with second-degree murder, official misconduct and official oppression.
According to reports, during Nichols’ traffic stop arrest, Hemphill was the one that pulled the “aspiring photographer” out of his vehicle. Startling bodycam footage showed Hemphill chasing after Nichols as he ran away. But Hemphill did not continue on to the second location where officers eventually beat the young motorist to death. Instead, he turned back to the first location.
At the beginning of the investigation, Hemphill was “relieved” of his duty shortly after the Jan. 7 arrest, but the department did not fire him. Outrage sparked over the decision, with many urging for the department to take accountability.
Additionally, three EMTs and a lieutenant were recently fired for their failure “to conduct an adequate patient assessment” of Nichols after they arrived on the scene to find him brutally beaten. Authorities say they waited over 20 minutes after the vicious attack to call for medical assistance.
Nichols died Jan. 10 of severe injuries from the brutal arrest.
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