Sixth US police officer fired over fatal beating of black man

Nicholls was arrested by members of a special police unit called Scorpion on January 7 (Representational)

Washington:

The Memphis Police Department said Friday that it had fired the sixth officer involved in the arrest of 29-year-old African American Tyre Nichols, whose fatal beating shocked the nation.

Preston Hemphill, who had been on the southern US city’s police force since 2018, “violated multiple departmental policies,” including rules on “personal conduct,” “truthfulness” and Taser gun use, the department said in a statement .

Five other officers had already been fired and charged with murder upon Nichols’ death.

Hemphill, a white man, had been suspended since the beginning of the department’s investigation, but it was not made public until Monday.

Nicholls was arrested on January 7 by members of a special police unit called Scorpions, for what police said was a traffic violation.

Footage of his vicious beating, recorded on body cameras and security cameras, sparked a national outcry last week when it was made public.

Police video showed Hemphill at the initial traffic stop when officers attempted to take Nichols into custody, but he was not among the officers who chased and beat Nichols.

Nichols was cremated on Wednesday in the presence of Vice President Kamala Harris.

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