Memphis fires two EMTs who responded to police beating of Tyre Nichols

People protest in Oakland against the fatal beating of Black motorist Tyre Nichols
People protest against the fatal beating of Black motorist Tyre Nichols by Memphis Police officers, during a rally in Oakland, California, U.S. January 29, 2023. REUTERS/Laure Andrillon

Jan 30 (Reuters) - (This Jan. 30 story has been corrected to specify that Whitaker was a passenger in the fire department vehicle, not the driver, in paragraphs 1 and 4)

The Memphis Fire Department on Monday said it had fired two emergency medical technicians and a fire department lieutenant who responded to the brutal police beating of Tyre Nichols, saying an investigation had found they failed to provide adequate medical care.

Nichols, 29, arrived at a hospital in critical condition after several officers punched and kicked him and hit him with a baton, and died three days later from his injuries.

EMTs Robert Long and JaMichael Sandridge "failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment" upon seeing the injured Nichols a few minutes after police had stopped beating him, Fire Chief Gina Sweat said in a statement.

Michelle Whitaker, a lieutenant in the fire department, rode with them to the scene and remained in the vehicle with the driver after arriving. She was also terminated for violating department policy, the statement said.

Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Mark Porter and Jonathan Oatis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Read Next