Officers in Tyre Nichols case faced past disciplinary problems

Angel Saunders
·2 min read
2
Tyre Nichols protest
Tyre Nichols protest

The death of Tyre Nichols continues to be investigated, and new details continue to be made public. As previously reported by REVOLT, on Jan. 7, the 29-year-old was viciously beaten by a group of Memphis police officers during a traffic stop. Days later, Nichols died from his injuries, and five of the cops involved were charged with his murder.

Yesterday (Jan. 31), Memphis news station WREG 3 revealed Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith — four of the five officers charged with the murder of Nichols — faced disciplinary actions for violations prior to the young man’s death. On Feb. 21, 2021, Haley was accused of using force to put handcuffs on a woman. An officer he was assisting was also so rough with the individual that her shoulder became dislocated during the incident. On March 21, 2019, Mills reportedly used “excessive/unnecessary force during an arrest following a traffic stop that resulted in a wreck.”

That same month, Martin received a three-day suspension without pay for failing to properly search a suspect during an arrest. After the individual was placed in custody, “An officer on the next shift found a handgun on the vehicle’s rear floor,” according to records. In April 2021, Smith was issued a citation for failing to properly handle a three-car wreck where one person was injured. He received a two-day suspension without pay. A fifth officer charged in the murder of Nichols, Tadarrius Bean, had no prior incidents reported in his file. Officials from the Memphis Police Department shared video footage of Nichols’ Jan. 7 arrest on Jan. 27. The video was so graphic that it sparked nationwide protests.

In less than 15 minutes, Nichols was given nearly 80 contradictory commands by the Memphis officers and ferociously attacked. Those charged are set to appear before a judge on Feb. 17 for arraignment. The young father who loved skateboarding will be remembered in a funeral service at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis today (Feb. 1).