The head of the Memphis Police Department said on Sunday that “administrative action” willbe taken against officers involved in a use of force investigation after a 29-year-old man was hospitalized and died following a traffic stop last Saturday.
MPD initially said officers pulled Tyre Nichols over for reckless driving. A “confrontation” ensued with Nichols fleeing the scene, according to a statement, and another “confrontation” followed as police attempted to arrest him. After Nichols complained of a shortness of breath, an ambulance transported him in critical condition to a hospital, MPD said.
He died three days later, on Jan. 10. No details have been released about the cause of death or how many officers were at the scene. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation at the request of the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.
In Police Chief CJ Davis’s announcement on Sunday, she did not detail what specific action is being taken against the officers as a result of MPD’s own internal investigation.
“After reviewing various sources of information involving this incident, I have found that it is necessary to take immediate and appropriate action,” Davis said, noting that the implicated officers have been notified – a requirement before a city employee can be disciplined or terminated.
“MPD is working quickly and appropriately to go through the administrative disciplinary and investigative process, which is expected to be completed later this week,” the press release reads.
Family and friends of Nichols, who has been described on social media as a cherished and positive friend and a skateboard enthusiast, demonstrated outside a police precinct in southeast Memphis on Saturday, demanding transparency and to see body camera footage from the incident.
Mayor Jim Strickland said in the joint statement with Davis that completing an investigation is necessary “to ensure that swift justice is served.”
“We want citizens to know that we are prepared to take immediate and appropriate actions based on what the findings determine,” Strickland said.
Nichols’ loved ones told reporters at Saturday’s demonstration that they’re seeking answers. Some carried a photo of the young man showing him hospitalized and connected to a breathing tube with what appears to be a swollen face.
“No one should die from a traffic stop,” Rodney Wells, Nichols' stepfather, toldlocal TV station Fox 13.
