Robert Long, JaMichael Sandridge and Michelle Williams were employed by the fire department of Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. They were all fired after the death of Tyre Nichols of Sacramento, California, USA.

Both Long and Sandridge were emergency medical technicians and Williams was a lieutenant. Long was an EMT-Basic while Sandridge was an EMT-Advanced.

At 8:31 p.m. on January 7, 2023, the Memphis Police Department called Memphis Fire Dispatch to respond to Nichols, who was pepper sprayed at the intersection of E. Raines Road and Ross Road in Memphis. When Long and Sandridge arrived at the scene at around 8:41 p.m., they found Nichols handcuffed on the ground leaning against a police vehicle.

Whitaker also arrived and remained in the fire apparatus with its driver. She, Long and Sandridge allegedly violated numerous MFD policies and protocols.

Long and Sandridge failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Nichols. The two EMTs requested an ambulance to respond after their interaction with Nichols.

At 8:55 p.m., an ambulance arrived. At 9:08 p.m., Nichols was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Memphis.

On January 10, 2023, Nichols died in St. Francis Hospital. He was 29.

On January 20, 2023, the Memphis Police Department fired Desmond Mills Jr., 32, of Memphis, Emmitt Martin III, 30, of Memphis, Justin Smith, 28, of Memphis, Demetrius Haley, 29, of Cordova, Tennessee, Tadarrius Bean, 24, of Olive Branch, DeSoto County, Mississippi, USA. On January 25, 2023, the department’s chief CJ Davis said the five officers were found to be directly responsible for the physical abuse of Nichols.

On January 8, 2023, the Memphis Police Department relieved him Preston Hemphill, 26, of Memphis of duty, a piece of information that was not made public until January 30, 2023. He, Long, Sandridge and Whitaker have not been charged with a crime.

Mills, Martin, Smith, Haley and Bean were each charged with second-degree murder, official oppression, aggravated kidnapping while possessing a weapon, aggravated assault – acting in concert, official misconduct thru unauthorized exercising of official power, two counts of aggravated kidnapping causing bodily injury and two counts of official misconduct through failure to perform a duty imposed by law. They are scheduled for arraignment on February 17, 2023.