6th Memphis officer relieved of duty over Tyre Nichols beating

A few days after the Memphis Police Department released graphic video of officers beating Tyre Nichols, the department announced Monday a sixth officer has been disciplined. Unlike the five officers who have been fired and charged with murder in Nichols’ death, Preston Hemphill was suspended shortly after the incident earlier this month.

Monday a spokesperson for the department said word of Hemphill’s suspension was not immediately released because he was not fired and the department typically releases information about officers who are relieved of duty after an investigation ends. The Memphis police spokesperson did not disclose the officer’s role in Nichols’ arrest and beating.

The Memphis Police Department is not the only law enforcement agency disciplining officials in the wake of Nichols’ death. Two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies have been relieved of duty without pay while their conduct is investigated, and two Memphis Fire Department workers were also removed from duty. Calls for more officers to be fired or charged have been loud and persistent from the Nichols family, their lawyers and community activists since the video was released.

“Questions were raised before the video was released, I raised those questions,” Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, told The Associated Press. “I just felt there was more than five officers out there. Now, five were charged with murder because they were the main participants, but there were five or six other officers out there that didn’t do anything to render any aid. So they are just as culpable as the officers who threw the blows.”

As investigations continue, it was announced Sunday that Wells and Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells will attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address next month. They were invited by Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev. The caucus also said it was in talks with the White House about a meeting to discuss police reform.

Reuters contributed to this report.