A sixth officer from the Memphis Police Department has been relieved of duty in the brutal beating death of Tyre Nichols, 29, following a Jan. 7 traffic stop.
Memphis police spokeswoman Karen Rudolph said on Monday that Preston Hemphill, who has served as an officer since 2018, was relieved of duty when the department began their internal investigation into Nichols’ death on Jan. 8, according to the Associated Press.
Asked why the department is only reporting news of a sixth officer’s involvement now, Rudolph said they do not release that information until the end of an investigation. Additionally, Hemphill has not been fired.
WATN-TV reported that Hemphill was present at the initial traffic stop. “Hemphill was shown on video during MPD’s initial confrontation with Nichols, pulling him from his car forcefully while hitting him on the ground with a Taser, later stating, ‘I hope they stomp his a**’, after Nichols escaped,” the report said.
WATN published a statement from Hemphill’s attorney, Lee Gerald: “I can confirm that I represent Memphis Police Officer Preston Hemphill who was the third officer at the initial stop of Mr. Nichols. Video One is his bodycam footage. As per departmental regulations Officer Hemphill activated his bodycam. He was never present at the second scene. He is cooperating with officials in this investigation.”
Attorneys for the Nichols’ family released a statement on Monday (via WATN): “The news today from Memphis officials that Officer Preston Hemphill was reportedly relieved of duty weeks ago, but not yet terminated or charged, is extremely disappointing. Why is his identity and the role he played in Tyre’s death just now coming to light? We have asked from the beginning that the Memphis Police Department be transparent with the family and the community – this news seems to indicate that they haven’t risen to the occasion. It certainly begs the question why the white officer involved in this brutal attack was shielded and protected from the public eye, and to date, from sufficient discipline and accountability. The Memphis Police Department owes us all answers.”
Memphis police dismiss 6th officer in Tyre Nichols case, local TV report https://t.co/sPJhrcD5mh pic.twitter.com/9FM1yktxHY
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 30, 2023
Americans were left shocked and sickened after watching the video that was released on Friday evening. The brutality of the police officers was difficult to watch.
The five officers present at both encounters with Nichols were fired and charged with second degree murder along with other charges.
The five officers involved in the Tyre Nichols case were fired last week and charged on Thursday with murder. Here’s an explanation of the charges they face. https://t.co/dbrEquOvl4
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 28, 2023
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing the Nichols family. Crump joined MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Monday and called for Hemphill to be terminated.
Nichols’ family attorney Ben Crump: False narratives of traffic stop are ‘attempts at conspiracy’ @AttorneyCrump @MSNBC https://t.co/XgMHA2yETO
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) January 30, 2023
He told Mitchell there are discrepancies between the police report and the actual incident. “The fact that they continue to try to make this false narrative tells you that it’s more attempts at conspiracy; the fact that nobody can reasonably articulate why they stopped him in the first place,” says Crump. “You know, you hear them on the audio trying to say, ‘Oh, he was driving recklessly,’ and they said he was going down the road the wrong way. Well, we don’t see any evidence of that whatsoever.” [Timestamp: 2:38]
There’s no doubt a lot of other people are asking that question as well.
A previous version of this article appeared in The Western Journal.
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The Media must have a token White to justify BLM riots, since that organisation was unable to gin up the outrage necessary up to this point.
Crump is on the job. I’m sure he will make up something to place this squarely on a racially motivated narrative, even when all the ones who beat the guy up were black.