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Five police officers in Memphis, Tennessee, who were accused of violating department policies in a traffic stop that led to the death of Tyre Nichols were «directly responsible» for his «physical abuse,» the city’s police chief said Wednesday night.
In a video statement, Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis said other officers remained under investigation in connection with alleged policy violations during the Jan. 7 stop.
“Some infractions are less egregious than others,” she said.
The five officers terminated last week «were found to be directly responsible for the physical abuse of Mr. Nichols,» Davis said.
Davis called the incident “heinous, reckless and inhumane” — conduct she said people can see for themselves when body camera video of the stop is released in the coming days.
“I expect you to feel what the Nichols family feels,” she said. “I expect you to feel outrage in the disregard of basic human rights, as our police officers have taken an oath to do the opposite of what transpired on the video.”
Davis asked people to protest peacefully and said authorities would review the department’s specialized units to ensure officers follow department policies during encounters.
