Three MFD Employees Fired Following Internal Investigation into Response to Death of Tyre Nichols

The Memphis Fire Department (MFD) announced on Monday that three of its employees have been fired following an internal investigation into their response to the death of Tyre Nichols.

Nichols, a Black man, died three days after a traffic stop on January 7. Five Memphis police officers involved in the case were fired on January 20 and are now facing criminal charges including second-degree murder.

The MFD investigation found that two EMTs, Robert Long and JaMicheal Sandridge, “failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment” of Nichols when they responded to the scene for a call about him being pepper-sprayed. The third employee, a lieutenant, was assigned to drive a Memphis Fire Department truck to the scene.

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office said Monday that more charges could be filed as part of the “ongoing investigation” into Nichols’ death. “The current charges do not preclude us from adding additional charges as more information is presented,” the statement from the district attorney’s office said.

The MFD said in its statement that the investigation included not only the two EMTs and the lieutenant, but also “persons who participated in preparing documentation of the incident afterward.”

The MFD did not release the names of the three employees who were fired, but said they had “violated numerous MFD Policies and Protocols” in responding to Nichols’ deadly arrest. The department said it is committed to ensuring that its personnel adhere to the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.