Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Two more law enforcement officers are under investigation in connection with the death of Tire Nichols.
A pair of Shelby County deputies were suspended Friday night shortly after Memphis police released video of the brutal and fatal beating of Nichols by five city officers.
“Having seen the video for the first time tonight, I am concerned about two officers who appeared on the scene following a physical confrontation between police and Tire Nichols,” Sheriff Floyd Bonner said in a statement Friday.
“I have launched an internal investigation into the conduct of these officers to determine what happened and if any policy was violated. Both officers have been relieved of their duties pending the outcome of this administrative investigation.”
The announcement came just an hour after Bonner expressed his condolences to Nichols’ family and vowed to do everything in his power to prevent another “senseless” tragedy.
The officers were among law enforcement officers responding to the December incident, which began as a traffic stop but quickly escalated into an hour-long assault.
Although only five Memphis police officers were charged in the attack, video footage released Friday shows several more police officers were present at the beating.
Five police officers were captured on video punching, kicking, pepper spraying, tasering and verbally threatening Nichols while he is handcuffed.
Nichols can be heard yelling and repeatedly calling “Mom!” during the incident, which took place just 100 meters from his house.
The five police department officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr., and Justin Smith — were charged with Nichols’ murder, as well as aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and oppression. officer plus second degree murder.
They were fired from the department last week after an internal investigation found they used excessive force and failed in their duties to intervene and provide assistance.
It is not yet clear what role the other two sheriff’s deputies played in the deadly attack.
The release of footage of Nichols’ murder has sparked protests across the country. In Memphis, about 300 protesters closed the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge, a serious traffic jam of hundreds of vehicles on the main thoroughfare.
At least three people were handcuffed during protests in New York City. The night started peacefully, but tensions grew as the demonstrations progressed, with a man getting into a police car and smashing its windshield with his foot.
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