The feds say they are going to conduct a review of the Memphis Police Department after the cop-custody death of Tyre Nichols last month.
The Justice Department will team up with a distinguished police chiefs’ group for an “independent” review of the Tennessee department on the request of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.
“To honor Tyre and help ensure that this kind of tragedy doesn’t occur again, the City of Memphis has engaged the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)… and the International Association of Police Chiefs (IACP) to conduct a review of the Memphis Police Department,” Strickland said in a release Friday.
“The independent, external review by these agencies will include an assessment of MPD’s Special Units and use of force policies.
“While we little question have an extended method to go on the road to healing, hopefully throughout our actions residents will see we’re working to be higher and that we’re heading down the proper path,” Strickland said.
The move comes as town reels from the fatal beating of the 29-year-old FedEx employee Jan. 7, with bodycam footage showing the brutal attack.
Nichols is heard repeatedly calling for his mother as he was beaten, kicked, hit with a stun gun and pepper-sprayed by five Memphis cops.
The confrontation began when Nichols was pulled over in a traffic stop near his mother’s home. The cops claimed he was recklessly driving, but town’s police chief later said there isn’t any evidence he was doing anything mistaken on the time.
He died from his injuries at an area hospital three days later.
The cops — Tadarrius Bean, 24; Demetrius Haley, 30; Emmitt Martin III, 30; Desmond Mills, Jr., 32, and Justin Smith, 28 — were fired after the incident and arrested.
They were each charged with second-degree murder, two counts of official misconduct, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of official oppression and one count of aggravated assault, authorities said.
A sixth cop, Preston Hemphill, was later also fired after an internal investigation determined that he “violated multiple department policies” over the incident.
Three members of the Memphis Fire Department were also terminated for failing to adequately assess Nichols’ condition after arriving on the scene.
Amongst those attending Nichols’ funeral last week was Vice President Kamala Harris.
With Post wires
