The Memphis Fire Department fired three employees for “failing to fully assess the victim’s condition” at the scene where five officers beat Tyre Nichols to death.
The Memphis Fire Department, Tennessee, USA, on January 30 announced the firing of emergency personnel Robert Long and JaMichael Sandridge for “failing to perform an adequate assessment of the patient’s condition” after approaching the youth. Tire Nichols, who was beaten by five policemen and died earlier this month.
Lieutenant Michelle Whitaker, the female driver who brought Long and Sandridge to the scene but was in the car and did not attend Nichols’ emergency, was also fired.
Three employees were fired by the Memphis Fire Department on January 30. Photo: Kiro 7.
The move comes hours after the Memphis Police Department announced it had dismissed two more officers involved in the incident. No charges have been filed against the two. Police Chief Cerelyn Davis earlier said a number of officers were being investigated in connection with the killing of Nichols.
The Memphis Police Department last week released a video showing Tire Nichols’ January 7 encounter with five police officers.
In the video, officers try to subdue Nichols, 29, with a stun gun. When the young man ran away, the police team chased him, repeatedly punching and kicking and beating the victim with batons for 5 minutes.
Nichols was handcuffed, collapsed to the ground, and lay before two Fire Department emergency workers Long and Sandridge were deployed to the scene. However, they did not give Nichols first aid, but asked him “what stimulant was on”.
About 20 minutes later, an ambulance arrived on the scene, taking Nichols to the hospital. He died three days later from kidney damage and cardiac arrest.
The five officers who directly beat Nichols, all of whom are black, have been fired after an internal investigation found they “violated multiple policies, including excessive use of force”. The group of officers also face seven charges, including murder, assault, kidnapping and misconduct in the performance of their duties. They will have to appear in court on February 17.
Nichols’ incident recalls the case of black man George Floyd, who was killed by police in 2020. Floyd’s death then sparked protests across the US and spread to other countries around the world. gender. US President Joe Biden demanded a quick, complete and transparent investigation into the incident, and called for people to protest peacefully.
Vu Anh (Theo Reuters)