Tyre Nichols case: Release of new footage delayed by court order

(MEMPHIS) — The release of additional footage in the Tyre Nichols case has been delayed due to a court order, Memphis officials said.

About 20 more hours of police video and audio were initially slated to be released Wednesday, City of Memphis Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Sink said during a city council meeting on Tuesday.

Following a motion for protective order filed by defense attorneys Wednesday morning, the Criminal Court of Tennessee for the 30th Judicial District Division 3 “has ordered that no video, audio, or records related to the City’s administrative investigation may be released until further order by the court,” Memphis city spokesperson Allison Fouche’ said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

The release of materials related to the investigation, including videos and personnel files, will be delayed while the state and defendants review the information, according to the order.

“The release of this information shall be subject to further orders of this court and, in the public interest, will be ordered as soon as practicable,” the order stated.

Nichols, 29, died several days after a violent traffic stop captured in body camera footage, which shows officers striking Nichols repeatedly.

His death has prompted protests and unrest across the country.

In Tuesday’s city council meeting, Sink also announced that a seventh officer who was involved in the Jan. 7 incident was fired following an internal investigation.

The internal investigations resulted in four Memphis Fire Department personnel being charged, and 13 Memphis Police Department personnel being charged, according to Sink, who clarified that these are administration — not criminal — investigations.

Prior to the meeting the Memphis Police Department announced that six officers involved in the incident were fired. Sink revealed to council members that a seventh unidentified officer who was under investigation was terminated.

Of the remaining officers under investigation, three officers received a suspension, two had their charges dismissed and one individual resigned in lieu of termination, Sink said.

All officers directly involved in Nichols’ beating were part of the first round of terminations and criminal charges, Sink said.

Those five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith — have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in Nichols’ beating and subsequent death.

A sixth officer, Preston Hemphill, was fired in February, days after the body camera footage was released to the public.

Another officer, who was suspended, “did place hands on [Nichols’] legs,” Sink said, but asserted that it was not a strike or assault.

ABC News’ Meredith Deliso, Ivan Pereira and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.

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