Tyre Nicholas, a man arrested earlier this month for reckless driving, passed away in a St. Francis Hospital. Following his demise, five police officers were terminated in connection with his death. The Memphis police department in his Twitter account confirmed the news.
“The egregious nature of this incident is not a reflection of the good work our officers perform, with integrity every day,” Police chief Carolyn “CJ” Davis said in a statement.
Nicholas’s family also raised its voice and approved the termination. According to the statement from the attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, the officers must be held punishable for taking the life of this man.
They further said: “We join Tyre’s family in supporting the Department’s decision to terminate the five officers who brutalized him, ultimately causing his death. This is the first step towards achieving justice for Tyre and his family,”
An investigation is going on to see whether the officer’s actions were against the law. The Department of Justice and FBI also opened a civil rights investigation.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation representatives said: “Due to the ongoing criminal investigation, the Memphis Police Association will not comment on the termination of officers in the Tyre Nichols case,” the union representing the officers said. “The citizens of Memphis, and more importantly, the family of Mr. Nichols deserve to know the complete account of the events leading up to his death and what may have contributed to it.”
In a statement on social media, the officials said that the officers stalled over a reckless driver. An argument occurred when they aside the motorist, and the driver escaped the scene on foot.
Officers again attempted to take him into custody, and another argument occurred. After some time, the suspect complained of gasping for breath. The officers immediately called the ambulance, and the suspect was taken to St. Francis Hospital in serious condition. A few days later, the suspect, Tyre Nicholas, died.
The details about the injuries and the cause of his demise have not been disclosed yet. But on Tuesday, the officials said the CCTV footage and the video records would be made public after the internal investigation ends. The family will also get a chance to see the footage soon. They and the family have planned a news conference for Monday afternoon.
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