Demetrius Haley, one of the Memphis police officers who allegedly beat Tyre Nichols in now infamous video footage, reportedly texted a post-beating photo of Nichols to a female friend and four other individuals.
Nichols was allegedly beaten by officers on January 7, 2023, during a traffic stop. He died three days later.
USA Today reported that documentation obtained via a Peace Officer Standards and Training public information request revealed that images on Haley’s “personal cell phone” showed he had allegedly taken “two photographs while standing in front of the obviously injured subject after he was handcuffed.”
Haley allegedly “admitted (he) shared the photo in a text message with five people; one civilian employee, two MPD officers, and one female acquaintance.”
The Associated Press noted that documents say Haley was “driving an unmarked car and [wearing] a black sweatshirt hoodie over his head,” and that he allegedly “forced Nichols from his car using loud profanity, then sprayed him directly in the eyes with a chemical irritant spray.”
At some point after the beating commenced Haley allegedly took the photo(s).
Five officers — Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith, and Emmitt Martin III — have been fired and charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nichols’ death.
