POLICE CRIMES V: Tyre Nichols died at the hands of Memphis Police now a sixth officer is fired and two EMTs loses their licenses
AGN.News Team
February 3, 2023
MEMPHIS (AGN.News) – Today, a Tennessee board suspended the emergency medical technician licenses of two former Memphis Fire Department employees for failing to render critical care.
The suspensions of EMT Robert Long and advanced EMT JaMichael Sandridge build on efforts by authorities to hold officers and other first responders accountable for the violence against Nichols.
These three fire department employees were fired after Nichols died. Former fire department Lt. Michelle Whitaker was the third employee let go, but her license was not considered for suspension Friday.
Six Officers fired over Tyre Nichols
Memphis Police Department announced on today that Preston Hemphill was fired. He had been suspended as he was investigated for his role in the Jan. 7 arrest of Tyre Nichols, who died in a hospital three days later. Five Memphis officers have already been fired and charged with second-degree murder in Nichols’ death.
One other unidentified officer is under suspension with the outcome to be announced soon.
The officers who have been fired and charged are Black, as was Nichols. Hemphill is white. One other officer has been suspended, but has not been identified.
The Memphis community has generally been fully aware of the existence of police use of excessive force on citizens. Tyre Nichols’ case only highlights what was already know says a person who did not want to be identified.
Funeral services for Tyre Nichols
Rev. Al Sharpton will delivered the eulogy for Tyre Nichols’ funeral yesterday in Memphis. Rev. Al Sharpton, an American civil rights activist, was asked by the Nichols family to deliver the eulogy.
Vice-President Kamala Harris was also in attendance. Harris, speaking at the funeral, said it is now non-negotiable that Congress must pass the George Floyd policing act. The bill aims to increase police accountability.
Family members of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, who were killed by police in 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky and Minneapolis, were also there.
The funeral took place at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis.
Community support for Tyre Nichols
Mourners celebrated Mr Nichols’ life, instead of his violent death. Tyre Nichols was a father of a son who will grow up without the father he loved because of the now-charged with various crimes related to the death of Mr Nichols, Memphis police officers.
The world is still in shock!
People of every social, economic, and political background are sharing the pain of the family of Mr Nichols. Like Rev. Sharpton said, “That could have been any one of us.”
“It is hard to believe such a thing could happen. The trust we all put in police as the ultimate guardians of our community has been completely shattered,” said a Memphis resident.
Basic humanity by Memphis police and EMTs or the lack thereof has stunned people the world over. There is no excuse for the neglect shown to Tyre Nichols.
Police officers unleashed a barrage of 71 commands in 13 minutes that were confusing, conflicting and sometimes even impossible to obey, a New York Times analysis of footage from Tyre Nichols’ fatal traffic stop found. When Nichols could not comply — and even when he managed to — the officers responded with escalating force.
At one point, footage captured an officer Preston Hemphill saying “I hope they stomp his ass” after Nichols’ attempt to flee the scene. Even though they had a moral obligation to protect Mr Nichols, ‘stomp his ass’ is exactly what those officers did and much more.
One commenter said, “It appears that Serve and Protect has been replaced with Comply or Die. I cannot imagine the pain Tyre went through, AND the pain and anguish his poor family is experiencing…sigh. This has got to stop. Other professions (like nurses) deal with non-compliant people and don’t end up KILLING them. THIS is HORRIFIC.”
MPD Officers attacked Tyre Nichols
The five Black officers, all of whom joined the Memphis Police Department in the last six years, were fired in the last few days after an investigation found them to be “directly responsible for the physical abuse of Mr Nichols”.
The five former Memphis officers are Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith. All of them have been charged with second-degree murder and other counts in Mr Nichols’ death. All five are Black, as was Mr Nichols.
This was not a case of Black on Black crime as some have suggested. The color of the officers is not the issue, it’s the victim that matters. There is no evidence Mr Nichols committed a crime. He was a victim of crimes.
MPD Officers and EMTs responsibility
There are other officers and firefighters (EMTs) who are implicated in Tyre Nichols’ death. Law enforcement is still investigating everyone involved and will provide more information later.
Officials said two paramedics and a driver who responded to the scene did not provide him with adequate care. While Mr Nichols laid on the ground, propped up against a patrol car, EMTs stood by simply watching him rather than getting busy trying to save Mr Nichols’ life.
The Memphis Fire Department announced Monday, January 30, 2023, that it had terminated two EMTs and a lieutenant for “violating numerous policies” in caring for Mr Tyre Nichols. Prosecutors are examining whether to bring charges against these employees.
The three EMTs and the driver of the ambulance were fired for their inaction and professional neglect of duty.
All of the officers and EMTs share a collective guilt for what happened to Mr Nichols. Their lack of action was simply inhumane.
This is a developing story, so check back for updates.
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