Three Memphis Fire Department personnel were terminated over the brutal beating and death of Tyre Nichols that sparked national outrage.
After conducting an investigation into the matter, the agency concluded that the three employees violated “numerous” protocols during their response to a call from police claiming that Nichols needed treatment for pepper spray. EMT-Basic Robert Long, EMT-Advanced JaMicheal Sandridge, and Lt. Michelle Whitaker were terminated.
TYRE NICHOLS DEATH SPARKS LONG-SHOT PUSH FOR POLICE REFORM
“Our investigation has concluded that the two MT’s responded based on the initial nature of the call (person pepper sprayed) and information they were told on the scene and failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Mr. Nichols. After their initial interaction with Mr. Nichols, they requested an ambulance to respond,” the department announced Monday.
“Their actions or inactions on the scene that night do not meet the expectations of the Memphis Fire Department and are not reflective of the outstanding service the men and women of the Memphis Fire Department provide daily in our community,” the department continued.
Long and Sandridge responded to Nichols while Whitaker remained in the “fire apparatus.” Nichols, a 29-year-old black man, had been pepper-sprayed and beaten by multiple police officers during a traffic citation for alleged reckless driving. The Memphis police chief has subsequently said there was “no proof” he had driven recklessly, and an investigation is ongoing.
During the Memphis Fire Department’s response, Nichols was found handcuffed at 8:41 p.m. local time, and the Memphis Fire Department response team dispatched an ambulance at 8:46 p.m., which arrived at 8:55 p.m., per the department. He was then brought to St. Francis Hospital at 9:08 p.m., where he died three days later.
Five officers, all black, were quickly terminated and charged in the case. A sixth officer, Preston Hemphill, who is white and allegedly fired off a stun gun at Nichols, has also been taken off duty, the Memphis Police Department announced Monday.
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In total, there have been at least nine first responders terminated or suspended in connection with Nichols’s death. Video of the physical attacks on Nichols released last week sparked national uproar and led to protests across the country demanding accountability. President Joe Biden and members of Congress have also condemned the attack. The incident has sparked a renewed push for police reform.
