Robert Long: Fired EMT says Memphis cops 'impeded patient care' by not removing Tyre Nichols' handcuffs after brutal attack
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: A former emergency medical technician with the Memphis fire department testified before a Tennessee board on Friday. Robert Long said that officers "impeded patient care" by refusing to let Tyre Nichols' handcuffs come off so that EMTs could check his vital signs after he had been severely assaulted by police. Nichols died three days after the brutal assault.
Long's license was suspended for failure to provide aid to Nichols and he was later fired. He appeared via live stream before Emergency Medical Services Board to share his version of the events.
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Robert Long and JaMichael Sandridge fired
Robert Long described how he and another EMT named JaMichael Sandridge handled the situation after five Memphis police officers attacked Nichols with punches, kicks, and a baton strike during an arrest on January 7 after he escaped a traffic stop, as per a report by AP.
Both Long and Sandridge were fired by the department on January 30 and their licenses were suspended on February 2. Another fired EMT, Michelle Whitaker, who had also joined them at the arrest location, had stayed in the fire engine. It is unclear if her license was canceled too.
5 officers charged with Nichols's murder plead not guilty
Nichols showed "clear signs of distress, such as the inability to remain in a seated posture and laying prone on the ground multiple times," as per the documents accessed by the agency. Nichols was beaten by five officers who have been dismissed and charged with second-degree murder. They have entered a not-guilty plea.
'Bump on his head and dried bloody nose'
Detailing the events, Long said, there was "a bump on his head, a busted lip, and a dried bloody nose on both nostrils," however, he answered "Tyre Nichols" when asked his name. He also "several times" urged Long to assist him in standing up and taking off his handcuffs.
Robert Long believed Nichols was being uncooperative
Nichols would "roll away" each time he attempted to place the monitor on him to check his vital signs. Long believed Nichols was being uncooperative and denying help and he didn't want to push him down because of concern that he would be charged with assault. However, Nichols never verbally denied assistance.
Officers denied uncuffing Tyre Nichols saying patient is not going anywhere
Nichols even responded that he had merely been drinking when Long questioned if he was taking drugs or alcohol. Officers then leaned over Nichols and were "in his face, saying loudly that the patient is not going anywhere and that they are not going to uncuff him, impeding patient care," according to Long, a report mentioned. They continued to impede his care, Long said.
Nichols eventually stopped moving and lost consciousness, according to Long. Nichols was transported to a hospital by an ambulance after it arrived. According to officials, it took 27 minutes from when the EMTs arrived on the scene until the ambulance left for the hospital.
According to the report, the board noted that Nichols might have been refusing help for a variety of reasons, one of which was his dread of being beaten again. The board upheld Long's punishment following four hours of testimony and questioning.