A sixth Memphis police officer was relieved of duty after the traffic stop that led to the death of Tire Nichols earlier this month, police said Monday.
The department identified the officer as Preston Hemphill.
“Officer Hemphill is relieved of duty. This is an ongoing investigation. Once additional information is available, we will update our social media platforms. Hemphill was hired in 2018,” a department spokesperson said.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith were fired Jan. 20 after an administrative investigation found they violated the department’s use-of-force policy. They were hired between 2017 and 2020.
The five former officers were charged with second-degree murder, two counts of official misconduct, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of official oppression and one count of aggravated assault, prosecutors announced last week.
Nichols, a 29-year-old black man who was an amateur photographer and skateboarder, he was hospitalized in critical condition and died three days after the traffic stop.
This is a developing story. Please check for updates.
