Investigators are looking into a rumored connection between Tyre Nichols and the wife of one of the former officer charged in his murder, the Shelby County District Attorney’s office now tells Newsweek.
The revelation comes after a Memphis Police Department spokeswoman told The Tennessee Star there was no evidence to support rumors of Nichols’ involvement with the wife of ex-policeman Demetrius Haley.
Newsweek asked the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office if it is investigating the rumors, including reports that Haley sent photos of Nichols to his ex-wife following the violent arrest of the 29-year-old black man.
“All of this is still under investigation. Those are the things, along with the participation of others, that [are] now the subject of our investigation,” a spokesperson for the Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told Newsweek in response.
Erica Williams, director of communications at the Shelby County District Attorney’s office, clarified to Newsweek that rumors about Nichols having a connection to the woman have not been “confirmed.”
“We know that there have been questions about other officers and Fire Department personnel on the scene, persons remotely operating cameras, the potential of false reporting, among other things. We are now at the stage of our investigation where we are looking into all of these matters,” Williams told Newsweek.
Earlier this week, Memphis Police Department Public Information Officer Major Karen Rudolph told The Star in an emailed statement, “There is no evidence that either of these claims are true,” in response to whether Nichols was targeted in the brutal police beating that claimed his life because he was involved with the spouse of one of the officers. The Star also asked whether one or more of the five former Memphis Police officers were affiliated with the Vice Lords gang.
The Star was prompted to pose these questions directly to the Memphis Police Department after more than two dozen sources in the Memphis area told The Star that both these claims were widely circulating.
Multiple sources asserted that these claims were provided to them from sources within the Memphis Police Department, but no source has provided direct evidence on the claims and no source within the Memphis Police Department has come forward to The Star to make or confirm the claims.
The claims have been widely reported and repeated on social media.
Williams told Newsweek none of the accusations are confirmed. However, she added that “nothing is off the table as this is a very active investigation — and still early in the investigation.”
Demetrius Haley is one of five former Memphis Police Officers, all black, charged in the death of Nichols, who died from injuries following the Jan. 7 traffic stop in the Hickory Hills neighborhood. Video of the encounter, shows the officers, part of a now disbanded anti-violence unit, brutally kicking and punching Nichols.
The five officers — Haley, Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills, Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith — were all charged with one count of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.
Two other officers assisting at the traffic stop have been relieved of duty, as have three EMTs who responded to the incident.
Rumors and speculation about motives have run rampant, but unconfirmed reports of Nichols’ alleged romantic relationship have been constant — from myriad sources.
“BREAKING NEWS: I am being told that Tyre Nichols was in a relationship with and worked at a Memphis @FedEx with #MemphisPolice Demetrius Halys’s ex-girlfriend & baby mama. After the beating Officer Halys took a pictures of #TyreNichols face and sent it to his babymama,” actor Sir Maejor wrote on Twitter.
Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, denied the rumors this week at a prayer vigils outside his Memphis home.
“My son was not messing around with one of the officer’s wives,” he told supporters.”That’s just a rumor.”
Ben Crump, an attorney for the Nichols family, did not return The Star’s request for comment.
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M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
