The administrative carnage within the Memphis Police Department continues as it pertains to the public relations fallout following the violent arrest and death of Tyre Nichols.
More than a dozen Memphis cops reportedly face disciplinary action from either the department, an investigative state agency, or from the U.S. Department of Justice, which has dispatched the FBI to initiate a probe, the Associated Press reports.
Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Sink explained during the latest city council meeting that the number of officers disciplined for policy violations could rise to 13. Police spokesperson Karen Rudolph said six officers whose involvement has not been publicly disclosed could face administrative charges.
Those statements by Sink and Rudolphs did not satisfy council members who demanded and expected, to hear viable steps toward reforms in light of Nichols’ arrest.
“I listened to the presentation as patiently as I could, and I heard a lot about discussions and conversations,” Councilman JB Smiley Jr. said, according to the AP. ”We’re 30 days out and I haven’t heard anything specifically to address policy changes,” Smiley said.
Smiley reportedly asked Davis what went wrong on Jan. 7, 2023, the night of the fateful beating of Nichols.
“A lot went wrong on Jan. 7,” Davis said.
“So the reason I asked that question is because what I wanted to hear today is, ‘This is what went wrong, this is what we’ve done to address these issues,’ ” Smiley said. “I didn’t hear that today.”
Six police officers have since been fired from the force, with five of them charged with second-degree murder and other felonies. It remains to be seen whether other officers will face criminal charges.
