Tennessee decertifies 3 former Memphis police officers charged in death of Tyre Nichols

The Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission on Thursday decertified three former Memphis, Tenn., police officers who were involved in the death of Tyre Nichols in January, according to CNN. 

The commission’s decision to vote to decertify Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith was unanimous and comes two months after five officers in total were charged with second-degree murder, along with additional charges.

The three officers, along with two others — Tadarrius Bean and Desmond Mills Jr. — were all fired from the Memphis Police Department in January after the death of Nichols. The former officers were caught on video footage, released by Memphis officials, brutally beating the 29-year-old, leaving him with serve injuries. 

Haley “was found to be in violation of personal conduct, truthfulness, neglect of duty, excessive unnecessary force, compliance with regulations to with body worn camera, and information concerning police business,” Memphis Police Department investigator Monique Williams told the commission board, while recommending Haley’s decertification. 

“In the matter of Emmitt Martin and Justin Smith, in addition to the same violations as Haley, Martin and Smith were also found to be in violation of duty to intervene and reporting improper conduct during an internal investigation,” Williams said. 

The three former officers’ attorneys asked the commission to place their decertification in pending status, CNN reported. The commission agreed for their attorneys to appear in person during the hearing, which did not happen.

According to CNN, the Memphis Police Department chief requested the commission to decertify all five former officers’ licenses in the state, who were involved in the death of Tyre Nichols.