Tyre Nichols: United Nations appeal calls for ‘urgent action’ following police killing

Exclusive: ‘We demand the immediate arrest of Preston Hemphill, and all of the other officers who took any action that contributed to the death of Tyre Nichols,’ attorney tells The Independent

An urgent United Nations appeal has been filed by the family members of Tyre Nichols and their legal team, The Independent can reveal.

Mr Nichols, 29, was brutally beaten by Memphis Police officers on 7 January and died three days later in hospital.

Following the incident, authorities released four different pieces of video showing the father-of-one being punched, kicked in the head, struck with a baton and pepper-sprayed, after a traffic stop.

“The family of Tyre Nichols and his legal representatives are appealing to the United Nations Office of the High Commission for Human Rights to request urgent action regarding the torture and extrajudicial killing of Tyre Nichols,” a letter to the UN reads.

“The United States of America’s failure to appropriately respond to and address police violence and extrajudicial killings of persons of African descent constitutes an abridgement of their human rights.”

The letter is signed by Mr Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells, Benjamin Crump and Antonio Romanucci – Mr Nichols’ family attorneys – and Judge Peter Herbert OBE, Chair of Society of Black Lawyers in the UK.

Jasmine Rand and Yetunde Asika, both international counsel to Mr Nichols’ family lawyers, also backed this call.

This comes as Memphis Police stands accused of “shielding” one of the white officers involved in the brutal incident: Preston Hemphill, who was first placed on leave despite his involvement. He was then fired following public outcry and is under investigation but has not been charged.

A seventh officer was also involved in the attack on Mr Nichols, however his identity and details surrounding his involvement have not been released, lawyers have said.

Speaking to The Independent, Ms Rand said: “So far five officers have been criminally charged for the death of Tyre Nichols.  All five officers are Black. However, there is a sixth officer named Preston Hemphill who participated in the incident, tasered Tyre Nichols, and the ongoing police investigation stated that he falsified testimony and evidence in the case based on review of video footage. Officer Hemphill is white.

“We demand the immediate arrest of Preston Hemphill, and all of the other officers who took any action that contributed to the death of Tyre Nichols.”

RowVaughn Wells cries as she and her husband Rodney Wells attend the funeral service for her son Tyre Nichols at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (USA TODAY NETWORK)

The UN letter consists of 11 specific demands which include: imploring the Memphis Police Department to disclose the identity of the seventh officer involved in the death of Tyre Nichols, mandating the use of body cameras for all law enforcement (Memphis Police are already required to have and turn on body cams in interactions with public) and forcing the immediate release of video footage and audio recordings following incidents involving police killings.

Signatories are also calling for an end to qualified immunity for US law enforcement which protects them from individual liability unless the official violated a clearly established law or constitutional right.

A Memphis Police document revealed on Tuesday that an officer took a photograph of Mr Nichols and sent it to at least five people after he and his fellow officers beat him.

Mr Nichols’ death has amplified calls for police reform across the US, and his family attended President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in Washington DC earlier this week, where he urged better training for police departments and more resources to reduce crime.

“What happened to Tyre in Memphis happens too often. We have to do better,” Mr Biden said.