Geoff: Welcome to "The
newshour."
A sixth police officer in
Memphis has been suspended in
the death of tyre Nichols.
Memphis police announced today
that officer Preston Hemphill
has been relieved of his duties
as part of an internal
investigation.
And this evening, the Memphis
fire department announced it
fired two emts and a lieutenant
who responded to the scene but
failed to provide sufficient
care and violated numerous
policies.
Amna: Those moves as residents
, in Memphis have called for
further accountability to other
authorities who were on the
scene when Nichols was beaten,
tasered and pepper sprayed for a
full three minutes.
Benjamin crump is representing
tyre Nichols's family.
I spoke to him a short time ago.
After the suspension of the
officer but before the news of
the emts on the scene.
Welcome back.
Let's start with the news today,
the six officer relieved of duty
days after the five other
officers were removed from duty
and arrested and charged.
What we know about the six
officer and why were the steps
taken now?
Ben: What I know is tyre's
father, Mr. Rodney wells, said
the first time he saw the video,
why why -- why wasn't this white
officer terminated as well
because he saw him with the
taser shooting tyre.
It is believed by the family
that you also hit officer saying
something to the effect of, "I
hope one day catch him, they
stomp him," and using profane
language.
It underscores the fact that
many people, once the video was
released, said hold on, why
wasn't he also arrested, why
wasn't he charged with anything?
So we believe he should be
terminated immediately like the
five black officers were
terminated.
Amna: Do you believe
accountability stops with these
officers?
Ben: No, I think this whole
scorpion unit within the Memphis
police department was operating
business as usual.
When you see how nonchalantly
they acted in that video, how
they were talking to each other
while tyre laid there in
distress, moaning and fighting
for his life, they seemed like
it was business as usual.
We believe there is a pattern
and practice that exists within
the Memphis police department,
especially in this unit, that
says it is ok to engage in
excessive use of force against
people of color.
And depending on where they live
at.
We believe this is part of a
bigger culture in the police
department.
Amna: There are a lot of
questions about why tyre was
even stopped in the first place,
whether or not it was a
legitimate traffic stop as the
police have claimed.
Have you seen any evidence that
speaks to that, why he was
stopped?
Ben: No, we have not seen any
reason -- I mean, we heard the
allegations that they said he
was driving recklessly, and one
time on the tape, you hear some
officers say he was coming down
the wrong way on the street, but
we believe if that did exist,
somebody would have come forward
by now with all of the attention
the video has gotten.
We don't believe that is true.
Amna: We have seen so many calls
for reform, so many incremental
steps over the years.
You have worked on countless
cases of police brutality and
killings.
You have called for what you say
needs to be institutionalized
police culture to change.
What does that mean and how does
that happen?
Ben: We need systemic reform.
We haven't had meaningful police
reform on a federal level since
president Johnson's great
society legislation in the
1960's.
We didn't get it in 1992 with
Rodney king, we did not get it
with Michael Brown in Ferguson,
Missouri, during the Obama
administration, and we did not
get it during George Floyd.
How many videos do we have to
show you, America, before you
understand there is a problem
with policing in communities of
color?
That's one of the reasons why
his family felt it was so
important to release the video,
because many times people who
don't live in communities of
color believe there is no way
police would just abuse or
brutalize a citizen even if he
hasn't done anything or she
hasn't done anything.
This video is another exhibit of
how they police people in our
community.
Amna: Over the last four days,
we have seen what I can only
describe as the incomprehensible
strength and grace of tyre's
mother and stepfather.
What can you tell us about how
they are doing?
Ben: You know, they are pretty
incredible people.
His mother has said on many
occasions that she feels her son
was sent on an assignment from
god and that assignment is
completed and he's back home
with his heavenly father.
She said that's the only way she
can cope with trying to make
sense of this tragedy, that
there must be some greater good
that comes from the tragic
killing of her son by the police
officers who were supposed to
protect and serve him.
She said, when we were talking
to president Biden, we want him
to have the United States
senators, chuck Schumer, Cory
booker, reconvene and put the
George Floyd justice in policing
act back on the table as well as
talking with congresswoman
Sheila Jackson Lee about the
judiciary in the house of
representatives.
So maybe with the tragic killing
of tyre Nichols, we might just
be able to get police reform.
We know it is not going to be
easy, but tyre is worth the
fight and we got to try to make
his mother's wishes come true.
Amna: That is in gym and crime,
civil rights attorney