The fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by officers after he ran away from a traffic stop in January 2023 exposed serious problems in the Memphis Police Department, from the use of excessive force to its mistreatment of Black people in the majority-Black city, a federal investigation has found.
A report released Wednesday revealed the findings of a 17-month Department of Justice investigation into Memphis police that began after Nichols was kicked, punched and hit with a police baton. Members of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division plan to discuss the report during a Thursday morning news conference, followed by a rebuttal by the city of Memphis with its own press availability.
"Memphis police officers regularly violate the rights of the people they are sworn to serve," said the report, which adds that "Black people in Memphis disproportionately experience these violations."
Nichols was Black, as are the former officers involved in his beating. His death led to national protests, raised calls for police reforms in the U.S., and directed intense scrutiny towards police in Memphis. The federal probe looked at how it uses force and conducts stops, searches and arrests, and whether it engages in discriminatory policing.
The report said police officers would punch, kick and use other force against people who were already handcuffed or restrained. Officers resort to force likely to cause pain or injury "almost immediately in response to low-level, nonviolent offenses."
"MPD has never assessed its practices for evidence of discrimination," stated another section. "We found that officers treat Black people more harshly than white people who engage in similar conduct."
Police video showed officers pepper spraying Nichols and hitting him with a Taser before he ran away from a traffic stop. Five officers chased down Nichols just steps from his home as he called out for his mother.
"Until the City has had...opportunity...to challenge...specific allegations...the City cannot - and will not - agree to work toward or enter into a consent decree..."
The report specifically mentions flooding neighborhoods with traffic stops without ensuring lawful conduct by officers.
"This strategy involves frequent contact with public ... requires close supervision ... But MPD does not ensure lawful manner," noted within findings.
- Officers pepper sprayed an unarmed man trying to take $2 soda; nine cars responded; man jailed two days for theft/disorderly conduct.
- An officer hit handcuffed man eight times; another left pepper-sprayed man inside closed squad car despite breathing complaints; no violations found per DOJ.