Memphis officer accused in ’15 jail beating

MEMPHIS — Before Memphis Police officer Demetrius Haley pulled Tyre Nichols from his car on Jan. 7, setting in motion a deadly confrontation, Haley was accused of taking part in the beating of an inmate at a county jail.

The 2015 assault of the inmate was so disturbing that 34 others — the entire cellblock — signed a letter to the corrections director.

“We are truly asking that this matter gets looked into before someone gets hurt really bad or lose their life,” the letter stated.

The letter asks how the inmates are supposed to feel “safe and secure when the staff members at the Shelby County Correctional Center are assaulting and threatening us?”

Shelby County did not respond to a request Friday seeking information about its investigation into the beating allegations, so it is unclear whether Haley was disciplined or cleared of the assault. An email was sent Friday to a police spokesperson asking if the department knew about the allegations when Haley was hired.

There is no national database of officers found guilty of misconduct who resign or are fired, meaning in a lot of cases they can apply for jobs in other police agencies and departments.

There is a national database for officers who lose their certification — the equivalent of their professional license to be a police officer in a particular state. Haley’s job at the jail didn’t require police certification.

Haley has been charged with second-degree murder in Nichols’ death, along with ex-officers Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith. All except Bean have infractions in their work records.

Policy violations include using minor physical force during an arrest and failing to fill out a form about it; failing to report a domestic violence situation; and a car crash, records show.

Haley continued to work for the Division of Corrections until hired by Memphis Police in 2020, when the department was lowering its standards for recruits in an attempt to fill vacancies. According to records in his personnel file, a previous application to the police department was rejected, but the reason for that rejection is blacked out.

Officer Preston Hemphill, who also participated in Nichols’ arrest and beating, has been fired but not criminally charged.

He initially failed a physical after he was hired in 2019 and spent several months in a civilian position.

Van Turner, president of the NAACP’s Memphis branch, said Nichols’ death could have been prevented if the Police Department had not hired Haley.

Haley has not spoken publicly about his role in Nichols’ arrest and beating. He declined to make a statement at his disciplinary hearing, and his attorney has declined to comment.