Demetrius Haley took two photos on his cellphone. “Standing in front of an apparently injured man after being handcuffed,” records show.
A fired Memphis police officer involved in the fatal beating. Of Tyre Nichols took photos of the 29-year-old. After he was pepper-sprayed, kicked and beaten by police and texted. At least one photo to at least five people, new records show. .
The disclosure is contained in documents released Tuesday. As part of the Memphis Police Department’s request to decertify. Five officers accused in the Jan. 7 brutal attack on Nichols. Decertification means former officers can no longer. Serve as police anywhere in the state.
Demetrius Haley, one of the five officers who were fired on Jan. 20, sent the photo, according to the documents.
He was the officer who physically removed Nichols. From his vehicle during the initial traffic stop and deployed. His chemical irritant spray “directly into the subject’s eyes.” According to Memphis Police Inspectional Services Bureau documents.
According to the documents, Nichols used profanity, laughed and “mumbled” after beating her.
On his personal cellphone, he took two photos. “While standing in front of the obviously injured subject.” Meaning Nichols, “after he was handcuffed,” the documents said.
Haley “admitted” to sharing at least one photo in a text message with five people: a civil servant. Two Memphis police officers and a female acquaintance, the documents said.
During the administrative investigation. A sixth person was also identified as having received the same photo, the documents said.
Haley violated police policies including personal conduct, truthfulness, dereliction of duty. And excessive/unnecessary force, according to police.
Publicizing the photo violated the department’s “Information on Police Business” policy. Which states “No member will communicate information relating. To official police matters without prior authorization or subpoena, except to authorized persons. A member must treat the department’s official business. As confidential,” according to the document.
Haley joined the force in August 2020 and was before accused of beating an inmate in Shelby County in a 2016 case.
Who allegedly beat inmate Corderlaureus Sledge. He had not properly served one of the defendants with a summons.
Haley also turned out to be untrue in Nichols’ account of his arrest, the documents said.
“In your incident summary, you wrote that you heard your partner say to a man, ‘Let go of my gun!’ before taking him to the ground,” the statement said. To your partner in the presence of witnessing officers. But, the video evidence did not support your oral or written statement.
The statement added: “You never told the driver you intended to stop the vehicle or that he was under arrest. The audio from the body-worn camera did not show. The driver using profanity or making any violent threats.
“Your on-duty conduct was unjustified, blatantly unprofessional. And unbecoming of a sworn public servant,” the document said.
According to decertification documents for. All the officers charged with second-degree murder — Haley, Emmitt Martin III. Tadarius Bean, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith. None of their body cameras captured the entire incident. Even though policies required them to have them activated at all times. Police encounter
During the first encounter with Nichols, Haley failed to activate her body camera. Even though it was working properly, her documents state.
Martin took off his body camera at one point and left it in his unmarked car. Both Mills and Bean at one point removed their body cameras. Contact with Nichols, the documents state.
Violation of other officers
The documents also describe alleged departmental violations, including excessive use of force. Dereliction of duty, dishonesty and personal misconduct. According to the documents, a police investigation found Martin to be untruthful. He reported in his arrest summary that Nichols “grabbed.” His duty weapon before officers placed him on the ground. But video evidence did not support that report, the documents state.
In his Garry Statement, a statement used by government. Employers during administrative investigations to determine whether misconduct occurred. Martin “failed to disclose” that he had punched the subject in the face and kicked her many times. In his statement to ISB investigators, he said he had “hurt the body,” the document said.