Officer Preston Hemphill, a white cop who was involved in the deadly arrest of 29-year-old Black man Tyre Nichols, was fired from the Memphis Police Department (MPD) on Friday (February 3). “After a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding this event, we concluded that Officer Preston violated many department policies,” the police department announced on Twitter.
The cops added Hemphill was charged and terminated by the department for the following violations: personal conduct; truthfulness; compliance with regulations to wit: conducted Energy Weapon (TASER); uniforms (provided equipment); inventory and processing recovered property.
“This is still an ongoing administrative investigation, and multiple MPD officers are under investigation for departmental policy violations,” the police further said, adding updates regarding other actions would be made available in the coming days.
The police fired two EMTs and a lieutenant for “failing to conduct an adequate patient assessment” on Nichols.
Preston Hemphill was previously suspended from duty on Monday
Preston Hemphill was previously suspended from duty on Monday (January 30). In 2018, the officer joined the Memphis Police Department. It was previously reported that questions were raised over why police waited weeks to designate a white cop in the deadly beating of 29-year-old Nichols.
According to Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney representing Nichols’ family, video evidence shows Hemphill dragging Nichols out of his car and stunning him with a taser pistol. According to Crump, Hemphill was witnessed violently dragging Nichols from his car while beating him on the ground with a taser and afterward shouting, “I hope they stomp his a**.”
Tyre Nichols was arrested on January 7 by members of the Scorpion special police team for what authorities described as a traffic offense. When the video of the 29-year-old being battered by officers became public last week, it sparked fury across the country.
On Wednesday, he was laid to rest, with civil rights activist Al Sharpton leading a high-profile memorial attended by Vice President Kamala Harris.