Memphis Police Says Sixth Officer Released From Service Following Tyre Nichols’ Death

A sixth Memphis cop has been placed on administrative leave following the brutal arrest that resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols. Officer Preston Hemphill has been sacked amid an ongoing internal investigation by the Memphis Police Department, a spokesman for CBS News confirmed on Monday.

Hemphill joined the Memphis Police Department in 2018, according to a spokesman who said in a statement that the department would share more details “as more information becomes available.”

News of Hemphill’s departure came after the city of Memphis released disturbing footage of Nichols’ arrest. The five officers involved – Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith – were fired earlier this month and face charges including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official pressure.

Nichols, a 29-year-old father who worked for FedEx, died Jan. 10, three days after he was hospitalized with serious injuries sustained during his arrest following a traffic stop on the night of Jan. 7. The cause of death has not yet been made public, lawyers representing Nichols’ family said last week that their independent autopsy showed that Nichols had “profuse bleeding caused by severe beating.”

This is a breakthrough story. Please stay tuned for updates.