MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Details continue to emerge from the Jan. 7 traffic stop that resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols, and the five now-former Memphis Police officers charged with his death.
In an MPD disciplinary report released to ABC24 Tuesday, one former officer is said to have taken two photos of Nichols while he was on the ground after the encounter, bloody and beaten, and sent those photos to at least five different people.
According to the report, a decertification request sent to the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission, former officer Demetrius Haley was found in violation of MPD policy for sending the photos, taken while Nichols was in an "obviously injured state" on the ground.
"On your personal cell phone, you took two photographs while standing in front of the obviously injured subject after he was handcuffed," The report said, addressing Haley directly. "Your actions placed you in violation of DR 603 Information Concerning Police Business."
Haley sent the photos to at least five people, including two MPD officers, one civilian MPD employee, and a female acquaintance. A sixth person was identified as having received the photo during MPD's internal investigation.
The report goes on to explain the policy, stating a member "shall no communicate information relating to official police matters without prior approval or subpoena."
At nearly two weeks after the fatal traffic stop, Memphis Police announced on Jan. 20 that five officers had been fired.
- Officer Tadarrius Bean, with MPD since 2020.
- Officer Demetrius Haley, with MPD since 2020.
- Officer Emmitt Martin III, with MPD since 2018.
- Officer Desmond Mills Jr., with MPD since 2017.
- Officer Justin Smith, with MPD since 2018.
In a statement, MPD said the officers violated multiple department policies. Just a few days later, authorities announced the former officers had been indicted in the case.
They face several charges, including second degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, and official misconduct.
