6th Memphis Police Officer Connected to Tyre Nichols Case Relieved of Duty

The image from video released on Jan. 27, 2023, Tyre Nichols seated leaning against a car during a brutal attack by five Memphis police officers in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 7, 2023. City of Memphis via AP

A sixth Memphis police officer has been relieved of duty in connection to the assault and death investigation of Tyre Nichols, a Memphis Police Department (MPD) official announced on Monday.

MPD Officer Preston Hemphill was suspended and is on administrative leave, said Memphis police spokeswoman Karen Rudolph. It is unclear what Hemphill’s role was in the Jan. 7 incident.