A high-ranking Memphis, Tennessee, police officer on the scene after the violent arrest of Tyre Nichols retired ahead of a hearing that would have determined whether or not he would have been fired for his response, according to court documents.
Nichols was pulled over on Jan. 7 in Memphis’ Hickory Hill neighborhood on allegations of reckless driving. He was repeatedly punched, tased and kicked by police during the traffic stop and required hospitalization. He died three days later.
According to an internal investigation into the deadly arrest, Memphis police Lt. Dewayne Smith responded to the scene after Nichols was beaten and detained.
