Staff Reports
Five police officers in Memphis were fired after a man died following a traffic stop. The incident is unusual, but it could also become more common due to the difficulties in hiring new law enforcers.
Less than two weeks after the incident, which involved the arrest of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, the five officers were fired by the Memphis Police Department. They were dismissed for using excessive force and failing to render aid.
According to David Thomas, a forensic studies professor, it is rare for police departments to act immediately after an incident. Usually, investigations can take up to a year.
Thomas said that one of the factors that has changed the way police departments deal with incidents is the availability of body cameras. These cameras can be quickly reviewed by investigators.
Patrick Oliver, the director of a criminal justice program at a university in Ohio, said that before a police officer is fired, officials typically look into if he or she violated the department's general orders.
Oliver, who has over 28 years of experience in law enforcement, said that the severity of the violation determines the officer's job action.
Oliver noted that firing an officer is considered to be the most severe action that a police department can take.
He added that there has been a lot of scrutiny placed on police officers due to the availability of video cameras.
He also noted that many times, videos of police encounters show that the officers acted properly.
It's not unusual for a city to immediately fire an officer before the criminal charges are filed. However, according to Stephen Rushin, it's not always the end of the case.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Headline USA.
