Sixth police officer suspended after Tyre Nichols' death

A sixth serviceman has been suspended amid an ongoing probe into the decease of Tyre Nichols, a Memphis Police spokesperson said.

Preston Hemphill, 26, was 1 of the constabulary officers who initially stopped Mr Nichols for an alleged postulation usurpation anterior to his fatal beating.

Five different officers person been fired and charged with second-degree murder.

A lawyer for Mr Hemphill said the serviceman is cooperating with the investigation.

Body camera video and different footage of the incidental released publically connected Friday shows Mr Nichols, 29, was fatally beaten by constabulary officers connected 7 January aft helium was pulled implicit for an alleged postulation violation.

The video footage shows Mr Nichols was kicked, pepper-sprayed and deed repeatedly with a baton by constabulary officers.

He died 3 days aboriginal successful infirmary connected 10 January.

Officer Hemphill, who was hired successful 2018, was placed connected administrative permission the aforesaid time that the different 5 officers were suspended successful transportation with the incident, the constabulary spokesperson said connected Monday.

Lee Gerald, the constabulary officer's lawyer, said helium was the 3rd serviceman contiguous connected country astatine the archetypal halt of Mr Nichols, and that the archetypal video of the brushwood released to the nationalist came from serviceman Hemphill's assemblage camera.

"As per departmental regulations serviceman Hemphill activated his bodycam. He was ne'er contiguous astatine the 2nd scene," Mr Gerald said successful a connection shared with the BBC.

The archetypal video shows the archetypal postulation halt successful which Mr Nichols was pulled implicit by police.

Officers tin beryllium heard yelling profanities and threats, and ordering him retired of his car. The officers past unit him to the crushed earlier helium breaks free.

The consequent videos amusement officers catching up with Mr Nichols earlier pinning him down to the ground. Mr Nichols is past kicked successful the caput twice, punched respective times and deed repeatedly with a baton.

Mr Gerald said serviceman Hemphill remained astatine the country of the archetypal postulation stop.

Memphis Police Department said they volition supply much details connected serviceman Hemphill's engagement with the decease of Mr Nichols "once accusation is available."

Mr Nichols' decease has erstwhile again highlighted issues surrounding constabulary brutality successful the US, and has renewed calls successful Congress for constabulary reform.

In a connection connected Sunday, Congressional Black Caucus seat and Democratic House typical Steven Horsford asked for a gathering with President Joe Biden "to propulsion for negotiations connected overmuch needed nationalist reforms to our justness strategy — specifically, the actions and behaviour of our instrumentality enforcement."

Mr Nichols' parents person been invited by the caucus to be President Biden's State of the Union code connected 7 February.