6th Memphis officer suspended amid calls for more accountability following Nichols death

Geoff Bennett:

Welcome to the "NewsHour."

A sixth police officer in Memphis has been suspended in the death of Tyre Nichols. Memphis police announced today that Officer Preston Hemphill has been relieved of his duties as part of an internal investigation.

And, this evening, the Memphis Fire Department announced it fired two EMTs and a lieutenant who responded to the scene, but failed to provide sufficient care and violated numerous policies.

Amna Nawaz:

Those moves come as residents in Memphis have demanded further accountability for leadership and for others who responded when Nichols was beaten, Tasered and pepper-sprayed for a full three minutes.

Benjamin Crump is representing Tyre Nichols' family.

I spoke to him a short time ago after the suspension of the officer, but before the news about the EMTS on the scene.

Mr. Crump, welcome back to the "NewsHour."

Let's start with the news today, that sixth officer who was relieved of duty days after the five other officers were removed from duty and then arrested and charged. What do we know about this sixth officer and why this step was taken now?

Benjamin Crump, Attorney for Family of Tyre Nichols: Well, Amna, what I do know is Terry's father, Mr. Rodney Wells, said, the first time he saw the video, why wasn't this white officer terminated as well?

Because he saw him with the Taser shooting Tyre. And it is believed by the Tyre's family that you also hear the officer say something to the effect, I hope when they catch him, they stomp him, and used some more profane language.

And so it does underscore the fact that many people, once the video was released, said, hold on, why wasn't he also arrested? Why was he charged with anything? And so we believe that he should be terminated immediately, like the five Black officers were terminated.

Amna Nawaz:

Do you believe accountability stops with these officers?

Benjamin Crump:

No, I think that this whole SCORPION unit within the Memphis Police Department was operating business as usual.

When you see how nonchalantly they acted in that video, how they were talking to each other while Tyre laid there in distress, moaning, fighting for his life, they seemed like it was just business as usual.

So we believe that there is a pattern and practice that exists within the Memphis Police Department, especially in this unit, that says it's OK to engage in excessive use of force against people of color, and depending on where they live at.

And so we believe that this is big — part of a bigger culture in the police department.

Amna Nawaz:

Mr. Crump, there are a lot of questions about why Tyre was even stopped in the first place, whether or not it was a legitimate traffic stop, as the police have claimed.

Have you seen any evidence that speaks to that, why he was stopped?

Benjamin Crump:

No, Amna, we have not seen any reason.

I mean, we heard the allegations that they say he was driving recklessly, and then on one time on the tape, you hear some officers say he was coming down the wrong way on the street. But we believe, if that did exist, that somebody would have come forward by now with all the attention that this tragic video has gotten.

And so we don't think that is true.

Amna Nawaz:

Mr. Crump. We have seen so many calls for reform, so many incremental steps over the years. You have worked on countless cases of police brutality and police killings.

You have called for what you what you say needs to be institutionalized police culture to change. What does that mean? How does that happen?

Benjamin Crump:

Well, we need systemic reform. We haven't had meaningful police reform on the federal level since President Lyndon Baines Johnson's Great Society legislation in the 1960s.

We didn't get it in 1992 with Rodney King. We didn't get it with Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, during the Obama administration. We didn't get it with George Floyd. And how many more videos do we have to show you, America, before you understand that there's a problem with policing in communities of color?

And that was one of the reasons his family thought it was so important to release the video, because, many times, people who don't live in communities of color believe that, no, there's no way that police would just abuse or brutalize a citizen even if he hasn't done anything or she hasn't done anything.

Well, this video is yet again another exhibit how they police people in our community.

Amna Nawaz:

Over these last four days, we have seen what I can only describe as the incomprehensible strength and grace of Tyre's mother and stepfather, RowVaughn and Rodney Wells.

What can you tell us about how they're doing?

Benjamin Crump:

You know, they're pretty incredible people.

RowVaughn Wells has said on many occasions now that she feels her son was sent on an assignment from God, and that an assignment is completed and he's now back home with his heavenly father. She said that's the only way she can cope with trying to make sense of this tragedy, that there must be some greater good that comes from the tragic killing of her son by the police officers who were supposed to protect and serve him.

She said that, when we were talking to President Biden, we want him to have the United States Senators Chuck Schumer and Cory Booker reconvene and put the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act back on the table, as well as talking with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee over Judiciary in the House of Representatives for them want to put it back on the table, so, maybe with the tragic killing of Tyre Nichols' death, we might just be able to get police reform.

We know that it's not going to be easy, but Tyre is worth the fight, and we have got to try to make his mother's wishes come true.

Amna Nawaz:

That is Benjamin Crump, civil rights attorney representing the family of Tyre Nichols.

Mr. Crump, thank you for your time.

Benjamin Crump:

Thank you, Amna.