Sixth police officer suspended after Tyre Nichols' death

A sixth officer has been suspended amid an ongoing investigation into the death of Tyre Nichols, a Memphis Police spokesperson said.

Preston Hemphill, 26, was one of the police officers who initially stopped Mr Nichols for an alleged traffic violation prior to his fatal beating.

Five other officers have been fired and charged with second-degree murder.

A lawyer for Mr Hemphill said the officer is cooperating with the investigation.

Body camera video and other footage of the incident released publicly on Friday shows Mr Nichols, 29, was fatally beaten by police officers on 7 January after he was pulled over for an alleged traffic violation.

The video footage shows Mr Nichols was kicked, pepper-sprayed and hit repeatedly with a baton by police officers.

He died three days later in hospital on 10 January.

Officer Hemphill, who was hired in 2018, was placed on administrative leave the same day that the other five officers were suspended in connection with the incident, the police spokesperson said on Monday.

Lee Gerald, the police officer's lawyer, said he was the third officer present on scene at the initial stop of Mr Nichols, and that the the first video of the encounter released to the public came from officer Hemphill's body camera.

"As per departmental regulations officer Hemphill activated his bodycam. He was never present at the second scene," Mr Gerald said in a statement shared with the BBC.

Memphis Police Department said they will provide more details on officer Hemphill's involvement with the death of Mr Nichols "once information is available."

Mr Nichols' death has once again highlighted issues surrounding police brutality in the US, and has renewed calls in Congress for police reform.

In a statement on Sunday, Congressional Black Caucus chair and Democratic House representative Steven Horsford asked for a meeting with President Joe Biden "to push for negotiations on much needed national reforms to our justice system — specifically, the actions and conduct of our law enforcement."

Mr Nichols' parents have been invited by the caucus to attend President Biden's State of the Union address on 7 February.