A Memphis police officer took and shared a photo of the bloodied Tire Nichols immediately after the caning, the state oversight report claims

People are protesting in Memphis after the release of a video showing the deadly encounter between police and Tire NicholsShameka Wilson for insiders

• A Memphis police officer reportedly took and shared photos of Tire Nichols after he was beaten.

• Five officers have been charged in Nichols’ death.

• Seven other officers are under investigation.

One of the Memphis police officers charged in the death of Tire Nichols took a photo of the bleeding and injured 29-year-old after the brutal beating and texted him as he sat handcuffed and leaning against a squad car, as emerges from police documents obtained by insiders.

Former officer Demetrius Haley admitted to sharing a photo of Nichols with at least five people, including two other officers, a department civilian employee and an acquaintance; a sixth person also received the photo, according to the records.

Street camera footage from the scene appears to show Haley taking cellphone photos of Nichols as he slumped against a police car.

Haley said he used his personal cell phone to take the photos while standing in front of Nichols, who was “apparently injured” and handcuffed, the documents say.

On the evening of January 7, Memphis police officers pulled over Nichols on suspicion of “reckless driving,” although law enforcement officials have since said they found no evidence that Nichols was driving erratically. An initial confrontation ensued between Nichols and several officers as they pulled him from his vehicle and pushed him to the ground.

A second confrontation occurred after Nichols got up and ran away when an officer tried to stab him. Body camera footage showed several officers beating Nichols while he was on the ground. Nichols died three days after the traffic stop.

The Memphis Police Department last month filed documents for the five officers charged with caning, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., Justin Smith, Haley and Tadarrius Bean, as part of its Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission effort dispossess the officers who have since been charged with second-degree murder, according to the New York Times.

A total of six police officers have been fired as a result of the beating, and seven other officers from the department face an internal investigation and possible disciplinary action, the city of Memphis said Tuesday.

The Memphis Police Department declined to comment.

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