Tennessee sheriff stands down two deputies and orders new investigation into Tyre Nichols’ death

A Tennessee sheriff has suspended two deputies and ordered a new investigation into Tyre Nichols’ death after personally reviewing the sickening video. 

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. said he had ‘concerns’ about the two deputies who arrived after Nichols was beaten, putting them on leave as he launches an internal review over the officers’ conduct. 

A street cam video of the altercation, which began over a traffic stop, shows two officers, who have not been identified, arriving at the scene after five had beaten and pinned Nichols, 29, to the ground. 

The group of officers could be seen standing around the injured man, first bumping each other as he lays twitching on the ground before an eighth officer appears and paramedics arrive.

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. has suspended two deputies who responded to the scene after reviewing the video that left him ‘sad and angry’ 

Nichols died in the hospital after he was tased, kicked and punched in the head, struck three times with a metal baton, and twice sprayed with pepper spray in the face

In his full statement, Bonner said: ‘Having watched the videotape for the first time tonight, I have concerns about two deputies who arrived on the scene following the physical confrontation between police and Tyre Nichols.

‘I have launched an internal investigation into the conduct of these deputies to determine what occurred and if any policies were violated,’ he added. ‘Both of these deputies have been relieved of duty pending the outcome of this administrative investigation.’ 

The brutal beating caught on police body camera and a street surveillance camera show the group of officers delivering brutal kicks and sucker punches to Nichols as he lies on the ground. 

After they handcuff and pin him to the ground, three other officers arrive and the group can be seen standing by as Nichol is left dragged and propped up to sit. 

The injured man, however, is unable to keep himself sitting and writes and twitches, but the officers do not tend to him, and two are seen fist-bumping each other by the hood of the patrol car. 

Another pair is also seen congratulating each other with a fist-bump, continuing to ignore the flailing Nichols. 

Nichols’ family attorney – Antonio Romanucci, told MSNBC that the two suspended deputies could face criminal charges like the five who were caught on camera beating the 29-year-old. 

‘I will not be at all surprised when more criminal charges come against police officers, Romanucci said. ‘Am I surprised it’s taking this long? 

I’ve been around long enough, I’ve had to wait six months, a year to two years or not at all for charges to come so the fact that at least the administrator part of it is coming.

‘I think we know what’s coming next. They’re going to be looked at criminally also,’ he added. ‘These officers who failed to render aid who did not intervene – they should be looked at administratively and also criminally.’

Nichols is seen propped up against the car, bloodied and barely conscious as the police ignored him, with at least four officers seen fist-bumping each other

Bonner has condemned the attack that left Nichols dead  after he was tased, kicked and punched in the head, struck three times with a metal baton, and twice sprayed with pepper spray in the face.

‘I am a second-generation law enforcement officer, and I am troubled by what we all saw captured on video,’ Bonner said in a statement. This horrible incident tarnished the badge that I wear, and many other good officers wear every day.

‘I will do everything in my power to prevent another parent from having to bury their child in such a senseless and tragic way. 

‘My heartfelt condolences are expressed to the family and friends of Tyre Nichols. I am sad and angry about his tragic death,’ he added. 

As the investigation continues over Nichols death, his stepfather Rodney Wells and his lawyer, famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump, said the video demonstrates that other first responders should be reprimanded. 

Tyre Nichols’ stepfather Rodney Wells (above) has called for criminal charges against the paramedics who appeared to fail to render aid after he was savagely beaten by police

Wells called for criminal charges against the paramedics who appeared to stand by after his stepson was savagely beaten, while Crump questioned by a white officer who was present at the beginning of Nichols’ traffic stop hasn’t been charged yet. 

‘Everyone – the fire department, paramedics that came out that stood around and didn’t do anything – they’re just as guilty,’ Wells told ABC News following the release of the video.

‘Everyone that was active in the whole scene, the whole video, should be charged,’ he added. 

The five cops who were fired and charged over Nichols’ death are Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr, and Justin Smith. 

They are charged with second-degree murder, assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. 

Memphis Police Director Cerelyn Davis has said other officers are under investigation for their part in the arrest.

Davis described the five officers’ actions as ‘heinous, reckless and inhumane.’

Charged with second degree murder are (top, left to right) Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, and (bottom, left to right) Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith

The video released on Friday night shows Nichols crying out for his mother multiple times during the brutal January 7 assault, which took place just a few blocks from his home.

‘Mom! Mom,’ Nichols yells as he is pinned to the ground by multiple officers who proceed to beat him.

The video shows police rained at least nine blows down on the FedEx worker while screaming profanities throughout the nearly four-minute altercation.

One of the videos released by Memphis Police shows the moment Nichols was pepper sprayed in the face after yelling for his mother. 

The spraying officer appeared to get himself and another as they jumped away from the scene of the arrest, cursing and yelling in pain. 

‘Ah s***,’ the officers could be heard saying as one wiped his face and walked back to Nichols, who was on his feet.. 

‘Watch out! I’m going to baton the f*** out of you,’ the officer said as he swings his baton while another sucker punches Nichols. 

After all five officers appear at the scene, they can be heard saying: ”Ah, you motherf***** made me spray myself.’

One Memphis officer could be seen crying in pain as he needed to get his eyes washed after pepper spraying Tyre Nichols 

Another video shows one of the Memphis officers pacing back and forth in pain as a fellow officer pours water into his eye to flush out the mace. 

As he asks repeatedly for each of his eyes to be cleaned, the assistings officer says: ‘I can’t see jack s***. My glasses, when he was fighting me.’ 

The officer eventually finds his glasses and notes that he almost got pepper spray in his own eye.

When he’s told that Nichols has been caught and detained by other officers, one of them comments: ‘I hope they stomp his a**. I hope they stomp his a**.’ 

At the scene of the arrest, where Nichols was ignored after being left writhing in pain, one of the officers could be seen smoking a cigarette while others just stood around 

At the arrest scene, a street camera captured the moment a group of officers beat Nichols, pinning him to the ground and arresting him. 

The 29-year-old is then left writhing in agony as seven officers could be seen standing over him, with four fist-bumping each other and ignoring the dying man. 

One of them eventually pulls out a cigarette and enjoys a smoke while conversing with his fellow officers before the paramedics arrive. 

Throughout the videos, officers make claims about Nichols that are not supported by the footage, or what the district attorney or other officials have said about the case. 

In one of the videos, an officer claims that during the initial traffic stop Nichols wrestled for his gun before fleeing. The video does not depict such an incident.

Paramedics arrive on the scene about five minutes after the beating, but do not seem to render immediate aid to Nichols, after cops claimed he was high on drugs

 After Nichols was handcuffed and leaning against a police car, several officers claimed that he must have been high, but officers found no drugs at the scene. 

The footage has been widely condemned by police departments and unions across the country. 

The national president of the Fraternal Order of Police issued a scathing statement in response to the video of police beating Nichols.

Patrick Yoes said the officers’ physical confrontation with Nichols ‘does not constitute legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong.’ 

Instead, Yoes called it a ‘criminal assault under the pretext of law.’

The latest case of alleged police brutality has led to a wave of protests around the country, with violent demonstrations breaking out after the videos were made public. 

One protester was seen standing over a clearly smashed police car front window in New York City

Police officers take a smiling demonstrator, who smashed the window of a police car, into custody during the protest against the police assault of Tyre Nichols at Times Square in New York, United States on January 27, 2023

One demonstrator was spotting hurling a firework at an LAPD cruiser during a huge march in the city

One demonstrator was spotting hurling a firework at an LAPD cruiser during a huge march in the city.

Meanwhile in New York City a man was photographed standing atop a smashed in police vehicle windshield.

Officers quickly dragging him down and arrested him. At least three have been taken into custody in the Big Apple as part of the protests, according to NBC New York.

Another stood over a cop car with a tattered American flag. Antifa has issued a call to arms for protestors to light up New York City on Friday night.

In Memphis, protesters chanted: ‘Say his name! Tyre Nichols!’ and several dozen protesters blocked a heavily traveled bridge on Interstate 55 that is one of two main spans connecting Arkansas and Tennessee over the Mississippi River.