Memphis – There will be no criminal charges filed against one of the Memphis police officers who was fired for his involvement in the fatal traffic stop that led to Tyre Nichols’ death, the Shelby County District Attorney announced Tuesday.
On January 7, 29-year-old Nichols, was repeatedly punched and kicked by Memphis police officers following a traffic stop and brief foot chase.
Former Memphis police officer Preston Hemphill was part of the initial traffic stop of Nichols and was fired over policy violations related to personal conduct, truthfulness and compliance with regulations governing a stun gun, uniform, inventory and recovered property processing, according to the Memphis Police Department.
“By no means do we endorse the conduct of Hemphill at the stop involving Tyre Nichols,” Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said in a news release. “In this case, Hemphill did not pursue Tyre Nichols and never left the initial scene.”
Hemphill was not involved in the second encounter where Nichols was brutally beaten by police, according to Mulroy.
During the initial traffic stop, Hemphill fired a stun gun at the driver and, after Nichols ran, said, “One of them prongs hit the bastard,” bodycam footage released by the city shows. Twice to another officer, he says: “I hope they stomp his ass.”
While on top of Nichols, Hemphill “used the assaultive statement, ‘Get on the f**king ground. Finna tase yo ass,’” according to the police decertification letter Memphis Police sent to Tennessee’s Peace Officer Standards & Training Commission and obtained by CNN.
Hemphill “was never present at the second scene,” Hemphill’s defense attorney, Lee Gerald, said January 30, adding his client activated his bodycam as required and “is cooperating with officials in this investigation.”
The footage does not show Hemphill at the second site, where the DA has said Nichols was beaten and suffered his serious injuries.
