Memphis police officer texted photo of Tyre Nichols to at least five people after he beat him, records show
A Memphis police office took a photograph of Tyre Nichols and sent it to at least five people after he and his fellow officers beat him, a police department document released on Tuesday stated.
Demetrius Haley, the officer who beat Mr Nichols and then photographed him, has been fired from the department and is now facing a charge of second degree murder.
The document containing information on Mr Haley’s decision to photograph Mr Nichols following the beating and text the photograph to multiple people was sent to the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission in January as part its process of decertifying the officers involved in the beating so that they cannot work again in the state of Tennessee.
On Tuesday, the document was released publicly and first reported by The New York Times.
According to the doucment, Mr Haley admitted to photographing Mr Nichols following the beating and then sending the photograph to at least five people: two fellow police officers, a civilian employee of the police department, and a woman with no connection to the department. The document states that a sixth person recieved the photograph as well.
In body camera footage of the beating and its aftermath released in January, an officer appears to take multiple photographs of Mr Nichols while he is propped up against a police vehicle in handcuffs — a violation of police department policy that prohibits officers from using personal cell phones while exercising their official duties.
Mr Haley had at least one prior disciplinary issue in his file before the beating. According to the Times, Mr Haley recieved a reprimand in 2021 for failing to file a report after he grabbed someone by the arm while arresting them. In that case, he said, he misjudged the use-of-force threshold for filing a report.
Mr Haley and his four colleagues who beat Mr Nichols have all been fired and charged with second degree murder. Meanwhile, seven more officers are set to face disciplinary charges within the police department for their role in the response. Another officer has been temporarily relieved of his duty and taken off the street, while the city’s fire department has terminated the employment of two EMTs and a lieutenant over their response.
The police department also moved in the aftermath of Mr Nichols’ death to disband the specialised unit that Mr Haley belonged to that was constructed to provide an additional law enforcement presence in areas of the city with higher crime rates.
Specialised units like Memphis’ have been criticised in cities around the country for their role in disproportionately targeting lower-income neighborhoods and people of color.
On Tuesday, the Memphis City Council met to consider 11 new public safety proposals and hear from the city’s police and fire chiefs, with the police chief blaming “egos” in her department for the beating of Mr Nichols and alluded to changes needed in the department’s culture.
