Officer took photos of beaten Tyre Nichols 'and sent the photos' to 'a female acquaintance'

10 February 2023

In Memphis, five fired police officers — Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Tadarrius Bean — are facing second-degree murder charges in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols, who, according to prosecutors, was severely beaten on January 7 and died three days later. Details in the case, which has inspired protests all over the United States, continue to emerge. And according to the Associated Press (AP), newly released documents indicate that when Nichols was pulled out of his car that day, Haley “never explained why he was being stopped.”

AP reports, “The Memphis Police Department blasted Demetrius Haley and four other officers as ‘blatantly unprofessional’ and asked that they be stripped of the ability to work as police for their role in the January 7 beating, according to documents released Tuesday by the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission. They also include revelations that Haley took photographs of Nichols as he lay propped against a police car, then sent the photos to other officers and a female acquaintance.”

AP adds that a federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday, February 7 “accuses the same officers now charged with murdering Nichols, 29, with also violating the rights of another man from the same neighborhood as Nichols during a similarly violent arrest three days before Nichols’ arrest.”

“According to the lawsuit,” AP reports, “Monterrious Harris, 22, was visiting a cousin at an apartment on the evening of January 4 when his car was ‘suddenly swarmed by a large group of assailants wearing black ski masks, dressed in black clothing, brandishing guns, other weapons, hurling expletives and making threats to end his life if he did not exit his car.’ Harris thought the men were trying to rob him, the lawsuit says, and he tried to back up his car before hitting something. He then reluctantly exited with his hands raised and was ‘grabbed, punched, kicked and assaulted’ for up to two minutes, the complaint states.”

The newly released documents say that on January 7, “You never told the driver the purpose of the vehicle stop or that he was under arrest.”

AP notes, “Haley did not have his body camera on when he stopped Nichols but was on a phone call with someone who overheard. Nichols ran from officers but was caught again a few blocks away. At that point, Haley kicked him in the torso as three other officers were handcuffing him. Other officers kicked Nichols in the face, punched him or struck him with a baton.”

Read The Associated Press’ full report at this link.

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