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Demetrius Haley: Outrage as document reveals Memphis cop TEXTED photo of badly beaten Tyre Nichols to at least 5 people

Demetrius Haley has been fired from the department and is facing a second-degree murder charge for brutally beating Tyre Nichols to death

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some readers. Discretion is advised.

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: Memphis cop Demetrius Haley allegedly took a photograph of badly-beaten and lifeless Tyre Nichols and sent it to at least five people, a police department document released on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, has revealed. Haley has been fired from the department and is facing a charge of second-degree murder. The document containing the information related to Nichols' photograph being circulated was sent to the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission in January. Sending the document was part of a process to decertify the cops involved in the crime who can never work in the state of Tennessee again.  

Five former Memphis cops have been fired and charged with murder in the death of Nichols, a Black man, who died three days after being brutally beaten by them at a traffic stop. The five officers who have been charged are Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith, all of whom are Black. All the officers involved in the attack were members of the Scorpian unit, a group the Memphis Police Department created to tackle street crime. The MPD has now disbanded the Scorpion special unit.

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Photographs sent to at least five people

The recent document on Haley was released publicly and first reported by The New York Times. The document states Haley admitted that he photographed Nichols after the beating and sent the photos to at least five people, including two fellow police officers, a civilian employee of the police department, and a woman who has no connection to the department. A sixth person also reportedly received the photo. The video of Nichols' beating shows one of the cops taking multiple photos of him as he is seen propped up against a police vehicle in handcuffs. Using personal cell phones during official duties is a violation of police department policy.

Haley reportedly had at least one prior disciplinary issue before Nichols' murder. He was given a reprimand in 2021 for not filing a report after he allegedly grabbed a person by the arm while arresting him. He apparently said he misjudged the use-of-force threshold. 

'May he reap what he sowed'

Furious social media users condemned Haley on Twitter. "Sounds like the entire department needs oversight," one user wrote, while another said, "Those pictures were a trophy for him. That sickens me."

"Common thugs!!!! I’ll just keep repeating myself…DEFUND & DISBAND MEMPHIS PD!! All are hiding behind a badge!! Nothing but a bunch of gang of street thugs!!! Memphis is this who YOU want “protecting” you???" said an angry user.

"May he reap what he sowed," one user wrote, while another said, ""Demetrius Haley had admitted to sending a photograph of Tyree Nichols to at least five people, including... a female acquaintance." White folks regularly traded postcards of lynching victims. A Black person doing this to another Black person is horrific."

""If we are not our brother’s keeper, at least let us not be his executioner"," one user said, quoting Marlon Brando.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.