Friday, the Memphis Police Department announced that a sixth officer involved in the arrest of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old black man whose death beating horrified the nation, has been fired.
Since joining the police force of a southern US city in 2018, Preston Hemphill “violated multiple departmental policies,” including those on “personal conduct,” “truthfulness,” and Taser gun use, according to a department statement.
Five other policemen were terminated and charged with murder for Nichols’ death.
Five US officers are charged with murder in the beating death of a black man.
Since the beginning of the department’s probe, Hemphill, a white male, had been suspended, but it was not made public until Monday.
Nichols was arrested by members of the Scorpion team on January 7 for a driving violation, according to the police.
The footage of his brutal thrashing, captured by body cameras and surveillance cameras, was made public last week, sparking nationwide anger.
Tyre Nichols, the victim of a police beating, will be laid to rest in Memphis.
Hemphill was there at the first traffic stop when officers attempted to hold Nichols, but he was not one of the officers who tracked Nichols down and assaulted him, as captured on police video.
Wednesday was Nichols’ funeral, and Vice President Kamala Harris was in attendance.
»Sixth Memphis police officer terminated over the death of Tyre Nichols«