Three members of emergency services in Memphis have been dismissed for failing to do an “appropriate patient evaluation” when they were summoned to treat Tyre Nichols after he had been battered by police, the department announced on Monday, January 30.
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Nichols had been pepper sprayed when the two emergency medical technicians, Robert Long and JaMicheal Sandridge, and fire engine driver Lt. Michelle Whitaker were first called.
“Our investigation has concluded that the two EMTs responded based on the initial nature of the call (person pepper sprayed) and information they were told on the scene and failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Mr. Nichols,” a statement from MFD read. “After their initial interaction with Mr. Nichols, they requested an ambulance to respond.”
— Memphis Fire Department (@MEM_Fire) January 30, 2023
Who are Robert Long, JaMichael Sandridge and Michelle Whitaker?
According to the statement, Long and Sandridge arrived at the scene at 8:41 p.m. An ambulance was dispatched at 8:46 p.m. and arrived at 8:55 p.m. Nichols was brought to St. Francis hospital around 9:08 p.m.
“After concluding our internal investigation, it was determined that EMT-B Long, EMT-A Sandridge, and Lt. Whitaker violated numerous MFD policies and protocols,” the statement read. “As a result, EMT-B Long, EMT-A Sandridge, and Lt. Whitaker have been terminated from the Memphis Fire Department.”
According to an inquiry, the two EMTs who responded to the first call, in which they heard someone had been pepper sprayed, and information they were given at the site, “failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Mr. Nichols,” Sweat said in a news release.
The statement made by the chief indicated that Whitaker had stayed in the fire vehicle.
The two EMTs were suspended pending an internal investigation, the fire department announced earlier this month.
When the EMT truck arrived at the second scene at around 8:41 p.m., it discovered Nichols lying on the ground leaning against a police car. The truck then called for an ambulance at 8:46 p.m., according to the fire department. According to the fire department, the ambulance arrived at 8:55 p.m. and left with Nichols 13 minutes later.
According to pole-camera footage made public on Friday, between the time the EMTs and the ambulance arrived, first responders continually backed away from Nichols while he was occasionally toppling over onto his side.
Criminal charges have not been filed against them.
