White Cop Unleashed Profane Attack During Tyre Nichols’ Traffic Stop

Former Memphis police officer Preston Hemphill let loose a string of profane vitriol after he violently pulled Tyre Nichols from his vehicle during the Jan. 7 traffic stop that ultimately led to the 26-year-old’s death, according to new documents seeking to decertify him for police work in Tennessee. The documents detail how Hemphill approached Nichols’ vehicle while “brandishing” his gun—only to later admit he never witnessed the reckless driving that supposedly led to Nichols being pulled over that night. After Nichols was hauled out of the car, audio from Hemphill’s body camera captured him yelling, “Get on the fucking ground. Finna tase yo ass!” The documents also cite Hemphill for a bevy of other “unprofessional” actions that night, including carrying two pairs of “personally owned” handcuffs (though not his department-issued pair) and deploying his Taser on a nonviolent, fleeing subject. In the aftermath of the stop, Hemphill also repeatedly lied to investigators, telling them that Nichols had fought with the officers and tried to grab his partner’s gun, claims contradicted by video evidence. He has not been criminally charged in the case.