The U.S. Department of Justice is not the only law enforcement organization looking into the actions of the officers involved in the death of Tyre Nichols. Shelby County District Attorney Steven Mulroy has informed CNN that his office will look into the actions of the five officers charged with beating Nichols in January.
“The office will review all prior cases – closed and pending,” Mulroy stated, per CNN.
“This is just the beginning. This involves any criminal case that [the officers] were involved in. It is any case where there were criminal charges that were brought by the DA anytime since they became officers,” Erica Williams, a spokesperson for Mulroy, added.
On January 7, Tyre Nichols was stopped by Memphis Police Department Officer Preston Hemphill for allegedly recklessly driving. After stopping Nichols, five other officers grabbed the 29-year-old and beat him for more than three minutes. From there, the Memphis resident was left without medical attention for an additional twenty minutes. Three days after being transported to the hospital, he was pronounced dead.
Hemphill, along with the five other officers, were let go from the police force after public outcry. Additionally, the five other officers who beat the 29-year-old were charged with second-degree murder. Most recently, the Memphis Police Department sent letters of decertification for each of the six officers to the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission.
“You stated that you and your partners stopped the driver and attempted to detain him, and he began to resist…You stated that after he stood up from being on the ground, he started fighting with you and your partner, at which time you deployed your city-issued taser. The video evidence does not corroborate your statement,” the letter reads.
“Your statements were inconsistent and untruthful, and you documented false statements.”
