It was on January 7 that 29-year-old Tire Nichols was stopped by the police, dragged out of his car and subjected to violence from several police officers in Memphis in the USA.
Nichols died in hospital three days later.
In a video that was made public after the incident, Nichols is seen being subjected to blows, strong kicks to the head and electric shocks by several police officers.
The five police officers who were at the scene are, among other things, charged with murder or complicity in the murder of Nichols.
according to AP, has one of the officers involved been accused of serious violence in connection with the job in the past.
Violence against an inmate
The officer, Demetrius Haley, was accused in 2015 of serious violence against one of the inmates in a county jail in Shelby, USA. Nevertheless, he never lost his job as a prison guard.
MORE CHARGES: Haley, one of those charged with the murder of Tire Nichols, has previously been accused of workplace violence. Photo: Memphis Police / AP
The violent incident led to 34 inmates choosing to sign a letter to the prison director in 2015.
– We urgently request that this case be investigated before someone is actually injured or loses their life as a result of unprofessional officers, the letter states.
– Please put an end to this madness, it continues.
The charges against the officer are the first clear indication that the officers’ pasts should have raised concerns before they were hired by the Memphis police.
According to AP, four of the five officers who were on the scene can be linked to excessive use of physical force or violence in connection with work.
JUSTICE: The murder of Nichols has again put police violence on the agenda. Here from the memorial service for Tire Nichols the day before he was buried. Photo: Jeff Roberson/AP
Haley, the accused police officer, remained employed at the prison until he got a job with the Memphis police in 2020. According to the AP, at this time the police should have lowered the standard for new recruits entering the workforce. This happened as a result of the police trying to fill vacant positions.
Unclear system
In the US, there is no national database that shows whether police officers have been found guilty of dereliction of duty, or whether they have been fired or not, AP writes.
This means that police officers can in many cases apply for jobs in other agencies and departments.
There is, however, a database that shows whether officers have lost their certification on previous occasions.
More and more accused
In the weeks since Nichols’ murder, the number of suspects and accused in the case has come like pearls on a string.
CHARGED: Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith. The five former Memphis police officers are charged with several counts, including murder and kidnapping. Photo: Memphis Police / AP
In addition, several officers and people from health personnel have been fired as a result of the murder of Tire Nichols.
