A lieutenant in the Memphis Police Department, who was present during the January 2023 arrest of Tyre Nichols, has been identified as retiring just prior to a disciplinary hearing over his actions during the incident. According to police files seen by CNN, Dewayne Smith, who had served with the department for 25 years, would have been fired had he not retired. Smith had not been publicly identified as being present during Nichols’ beating by several Memphis police officers, which resulted in his hospitalisation and subsequent death. Five other officers were later fired and each now faces second-degree murder charges. Smith has not been charged with any crime related to the incident.
Important Details about Tyre Nichols: Newly obtained documents identify senior officer at arrest, show he retired before he could be fired –
– Lt. Dewayne Smith, a Memphis police officer, retired before a disciplinary hearing on his role in the beating of Tyre Nichols
– Smith had not previously been publicly identified as being at the scene of the incident
– Smith had been with the department since 1998 and was the most senior officer at the scene
– Smith was advised of disciplinary charges against him a month before his retirement
– Smith was alleged to have “failed to obtain pertinent information from officers involved in a critical use of force incident”
– Smith did not provide or suggest immediate medical aid despite seeing blood coming from Nichols’ face
– Smith had been charged with neglect of duty, unauthorized public statements, and compliance with regulations
– Smith spoke with family members of Nichols, along with another officer
– Smith retired in a letter from February 28, notarized by the agency’s Human Resources department
– Nichols was repeatedly punched and kicked by several Memphis police officers during a traffic stop and died three days later
– Five officers who were later fired from the department face criminal charges of second-degree murder
– The disciplinary hearing for Smith was held on March 2 and officials determined he should have been terminated for his role in Nichols’ beating
– Smith has not been criminally charged in connection to Nichols’ death
Memphis Police Lieutenant Retires Prior to Disciplinary Hearing on Tyre Nichols’ Case
A recently identified lieutenant in the Memphis Police Department has chosen to retire before a disciplinary hearing on his role in the arrest of Tyre Nichols, who died after being repeatedly punched and kicked by several Memphis police officers in January of this year. The lieutenant, Dewayne Smith, had not been publicly identified as having been at the scene of the incident until recently. Smith was with the Memphis Police Department since 1998 and was its most senior officer at the scene. He is alleged to have arrived at the scene and did not immediately “take command” in a supervisory role. Smith has not been criminally charged in connection to Nichols’ death.
Smith’s disciplinary hearing was held on March 2, and officials determined that he should have been terminated for his role on the day of Nichols’ beating. In a police department statement of disciplinary charges document dated March 10, Smith is alleged to have “failed to obtain pertinent information from officers involved in a critical use of force incident.” The document goes on to say that in his statement to investigators, Smith “did not provide or suggest immediate medical aid” despite seeing blood coming from Nichols’ face.
According to the documents, Smith had been charged with neglect of duty, unauthorized public statements, and compliance with regulations. The documents also reveal that Smith spoke with family members of Nichols, along with another officer. “You can be heard on another officer’s body camera telling family members that the subject was in custody for D.U.I. You did not obtain enough information on the scene to confirm those criminal charges and there was no arrest documentation to support your assumption,” the document says. “The limited details given to the family member can be perceived as an unsupported accusation or a method of deception and hindered public confidence.”
Five Memphis police officers who were present at the scene and were later fired from the department face criminal charges of second-degree murder, among others. They entered not guilty pleas in February and are due back in court in May.
In his retirement letter, Smith said it “was not an easy decision. I came to realize that the time has come to move on.”
The case has once again brought scrutiny to the police department and fueled calls for police reform in Memphis and elsewhere in the United States. The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year stirred a national conversation about police violence and systemic racism that has continued.
The problem of police violence and systemic racism in law enforcement requires a comprehensive and sustained effort to address, including changes to the ways in which police officers are trained, held accountable for their actions, and interact with the communities they serve. The recent conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd is a step towards accountability but much work remains to be done. Reform efforts should focus on ensuring that law enforcement agencies are held accountable for their actions, that officers engage in community policing, and that officers receive appropriate training in de-escalation and mental health crisis intervention, among other areas.
Overall, the case of Tyre Nichols highlights the urgent need for law enforcement reform in Memphis and throughout the United States. While the retirement of Lieutenant Smith offers some accountability for his role in the incident, much work remains to be done to address the systemic issues that led to Nichols’ death and countless others like it. It is up to all of us, as members of our communities, to demand better from our law enforcement agencies and to work towards a more just and equitable society.