Tyre Nichols’ death: Former Memphis cop took, shared photos of bloodied victim

Documents released Tuesday reveal one of the ex-Memphis police officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols had taken and shared photos of the bloodied victim.

Demetrius Haley stood over Nichols as he was propped against a police car and took photographs, according to documents released by the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission. Haley then sent the photographs to other officers and a female acquaintance.

“Your on-duty conduct was unjustly, blatantly unprofessional and unbecoming for a sworn public servant,” the Memphis Police Department wrote, in requesting that the five officers charged in Nichols’ death be decertified. The newly released documents are part of the request to decertify the officers and prohibit them from working in law enforcement again. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis signed the five requests to decertify the officers.

Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith and Emmitt Martin III have been fired and charged with second-degree murder over Nichols’ death last month.

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Another officer has also been fired and a seventh has been relieved of duty in connection with the Jan. 7 traffic stop that led to the victim’s death.

Officials announced Tuesday that as many as 13 officers could face disciplinary action.

Haley had forced Nichols from his car using loud profanity before then spraying the victim in the eyes with a chemical irritant spray, officials said in a statement.

“You never told the driver the purpose of the vehicle stop or that he was under arrest,” the decertification statement reads.

Haley did not have his body camera on when he pulled Nichols over but was on a phone call with a person who overheard their remarks.

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Nichols was stopped by police for alleged “reckless driving.” Officers said a “confrontation occurred” during the traffic stop, and Nichols attempted to flee the scene. Officers caught up with Nichols and began to kick him, punch him or hit him with a baton. During the beating, Nichols was complaining about having shortness of breath. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition and died on Jan. 10.

Footage captured on a utility pole camera appeared to show one of the officers using his phone to snap a photo of Nichols as flashlights are shined on him.

“You and other officers were captured on body-worn camera making multiple unprofessional comments, laughing, bragging about your involvement,” the decertification charges against Mills said. “You admitted you did not provide immediate medical aid and walked away and decontaminated yourself from chemical irritant spray.”

Mills was also accused of later giving Nichols’ mother an inaccurate description of the incident.

Martin claimed Nichols attempted to grab a gun from the officer’s holster after another officer forced him out of the vehicle, and that Martin helped by grabbing Nichols’ wrist. But video evidence does not corroborate Martin’s allegation about an attempt to grab a gun, the documents said.

Audio from a body camera did not find any evidence Nichols used profanity or made violent threats. He instead appeared calm and polite in his statements to the officers. Martin, however, used profanity toward Nichols and threatened to knock him out as he demanded Nichols put his arm behind his back.

Martin also failed to mention in a required form that he punched Nichols in the face and kicked him multiple times. He said in a later statement to investigators that he gave “body blows,” the documents said. Video footage showed Martin kicking Nichols repeatedly and punching him in the face multiple times while two other officers held the victim’s arms.

Police said Martin’s oral and written statements were deceitful, according to the charges.

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Writing about Smith, a hearing officer wrote, “You admitted you struck an unarmed and non-violent subject with a closed fist two to three times in the face because you and your partner were unable to handcuff him … You sprayed the subject with your chemical irritant spray and also held the individual’s arm while other officers kicked, punched and pepper sprayed him several times.”

Smith defended his actions in a letter included in his file, claiming Nichols was “violent and would not comply.”

Bean was accused of holding Nichols by one arm while another officer pepper sprayed and beat him with a baton. The charges also point to a video captured by a civilian showing Bean’s indifference to Nichols’ distress in the aftermath of the incident.

Nichols’ family attended the State of the Union address Tuesday as First Lady Jill Biden’s guests.

The Associated Press contributed to this report