Tyre Nichols’ death spurs Justice Department review of Memphis police

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it will review Memphis Police Department policies on the use of force, de-escalation strategies and specialized units in response to the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols during an arrest.

The review was requested by the city’s mayor and police chief, the department said.

In a separate effort, it will examine the use of specialized units around the country and produce a guide for police chiefs and mayors on their use.

“In the wake of Tyre Nichols’ tragic death, the Justice Department has heard from police chiefs across the country who are assessing the use of specialized units and, where used, appropriate management, oversight and accountability for such units,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta.

The Justice Department previously opened a civil rights investigation into Nichols’ death.

The city Wednesday had planned to release about 20 hours of video and audio related to the arrest of the 29-year-old motorist who died Jan. 10, three days after his violent arrest. Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Sink mentioned the video release during a City Council committee meeting Tuesday.

But the release was put on hold Wednesday after a judge granted a motion to delay from defense attorneys for five officers charged in Nichols’ death. The judge ordered that any release of video, audio, reports and city of Memphis employees’ personnel files related to the Nichols investigation, including the results of administrative hearings, must wait “until such time as the state and the defendants have reviewed this information.”

Once released, the additional video will add to the already-public footage from police body cameras and a surveillance camera that has given the world a detailed look at the police pummeling Nichols.

Officials have named six officers who have already been fired in the case, including the five who face second-degree murder charges. Those five officers’ own body cameras recorded them beating Nichols, propping the badly injured Nichols in handcuffs against an unmarked police car and then ignoring him as he struggled to stay upright. They have pleaded not guilty.

The six officers previously fired for their roles in Nichols’ arrest and beating were members of the Memphis police’s Scorpion unit, an anti-crime task force that residents have accused of violent tactics.

Police said Nichols was suspected of reckless driving when he was arrested Jan. 7, but no verified evidence of a traffic violation has emerged.