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On January 23, a Memphis fire department spokesperson announced that the EMTs that responded to the Tyre Nichols incident had been fired for an inadequate response to the victim's injuries.
On January 7, 2023, Tyre Nichols was beaten, tased, and pepper-sprayed after being pulled over by Memphis police officers for reportedly 'driving recklessly.' Three days later, Nichols died from injuries sustained in the incident. The officers involved in the arrest were indicted for second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.
Three of the EMTs involved in the incident, identified as Robert Long, JaMichael Sandridge, and Lt. Michelle Whitaker, were considered to have failed in their duties as they allegedly did not treat Nichols at the time. They were also accused of failing to assess the seriousness of Nichols' health condition correctly.
Officials criticize the role of the EMTs involved in the Tyre Nichols incident
In an official statement, Fire Chief Gina Sweat condemned the EMT's inability to help Nichols.
Sweat said:
"(The EMT's) actions or inactions on the scene that night do not meet the expectations of the Memphis Fire Department and are not reflective of the outstanding service the men and women of the Memphis Fire Department provide daily in our community."
She added:
"Our investigation has concluded that the two EMT's responded based on the initial nature of the call (person pepper sprayed) and information they were told on the scene and failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Mr. Nichols."
According to Buzzfeed, the EMTs involved in the incident reportedly arrived at the scene at 8.41 pm, approximately 15 minutes after the confrontation between Tyre Nichols and the police officers began. The EMTs supposedly treated Nichols for three minutes before then standing back and observing him as he indicated that he was in pain.
The Memphis fire department statement read:
"After concluding our internal investigation, it was determined that EMT-B Long, EMT-A Sandridge and Lt. Whitaker violated numerous MFD policies and protocols. As a result, EMT-B Long, EMT-A Sandridge and Lt. Whitaker have been terminated from the Memphis Fire Department."
In an interview with WREG, an anonymous former Memphis firefighter said that the appropriate response for the EMTs in the situation would have been to check Nichols' blood pressure, provide IV and oxygen, and prevent bleeding using bandages.
NBC reported that according to a preliminary report of an independent autopsy commissioned by the victim's family, it was revealed that he was severely beaten by officers. While the officers claimed they used force because they believed Nichols was reaching for a weapon, surveillance footage does not display this, nor does it show any evidence of the victim attempting to fight back.
The EMTs involved in the Tyre Nichols case are currently under investigation.
