Along with the five police officers that were fired and are facing charges for the alleged death of 29-year-old man Tyre Nichols, more emergency personnel have been subjects to ongoing investigations. Which includes two more officers getting fired and  three members of the Memphis Fire Department, as well as two deputies put on leave that were involved in another investigation.

“There is a reckoning coming for the police department and for the leadership,” “[There] going to have to answer not just to the council but to the citizens and really the world,” said Memphis City Council Member Frank Colvett.

Many residents of the Memphis area have suspicion of a flaw in the system due to the actions of the officers, and them getting terminated. Where Nichols beat, without receiving proper aid after the fact. 

“This is just such a gross collapse of the system that we are supposed to trust, that it really is unspeakable,” Antonio Romanucci, the Nichlos family Attorney.

Nichols was pulled over Jan. 7, 2023, for suspected reckless driving in Memphis by the SCORPION Squad unit. The squad is a 50 personnel police force in Memphis that stands for street crimes operation to restore peace in our neighborhood. Nichols was yanked out of his car by a policeman who used pepper spray and a deployable taser. Nichols ran away after being caught and was brutally beaten. He passed away three days later due to his severe injuries. 

“I think it was an unnecessary use of force. The police did what they had to do in order to bring him down in the first place since he ran, but [the police] didn’t need to beat him at all the way they did once he was already down,” said junior Christian Bucks.

Following the incident, multiple videos of the event were released by the city Jan. 27, 2023. The released footage caused protests throughout the country and reignited conversations around police brutality.