Memphis police officer texted photo of Tyre Nichols to at least five people after he beat him, records show
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A Memphis police office took a photograph of Tyre Nichols and sent it to at least five people after he and his fellow officers beat him, a police department document released on Tuesday stated.
Demetrius Haley, the officer who beat Mr Nichols and then photographed him, has been fired from the department and is now facing a charge of second degree murder.
The document containing information on Mr Haley’s decision to photograph Mr Nichols following the beating and text the photograph to multiple people was sent to the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission in January as part its process of decertifying the officers involved in the beating so that they cannot work again in the state of Tennessee.
On Tuesday, the document was released publicly and first reported on by The New York Times.
According to the doucment, Mr Haley admitted to photographing Mr Nichols following the beating and then sending the photograph to at least five people: two fellow police officers, a civilian employee of the police department, and a woman with no connection to the department. The document states that a sixth person recieved the photograph as well.
In body camera footage of the beating and its aftermath released in January, an officer appears to take multiple photographs of Mr Nichols while he is propped up against a police vehicle in handcuffs — a violation of police department policy that prohibits officers from using personal cell phones while exercising their official duties.
Source: independent.co.uk