More developments in the Tyre Nichols case bodycams were turned off by two officers

Officials said late Wednesday that two sheriff’s deputies, who had been suspended for five days for their involvement in the arrest of Tyre Nichols, failed to keep their body cameras activated after they arrived at the scene where Nichols had been beaten by five Memphis police officers.
Sheriff Floyd Bonner said in a statement that deputies Jeremy Watkins and Johntavious Bowers violated multiple policies after they reported to the location of Nichols’ violent arrest on Jan. 7, which was under the jurisdiction of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Police video footage and other documents showed that Nichols had fled a traffic stop, but he was eventually caught near his home by Memphis Police Department officers, who punched him, kicked him, and hit him with a baton.
The city released a video depicting several law enforcement officers standing around as Nichols, propped up against a police car, struggled with serious injuries while seated on the ground. Authorities said that 27 minutes after emergency medical technicians arrived at the location of the beating, an ambulance took Nichols to a hospital.
Nichols passed away in a hospital on the 10th of January. The five Memphis officers accused of beating Nichols have been fired and charged with second-degree murder. For his role in the traffic stop that preceded the beating, one other Memphis officer has been fired but not charged criminally.
Previously, the sheriff’s office had stated that two deputies who attended the scene after Nichols was beaten had been disciplined and were subject to investigation. The county law enforcement office had not divulged further details, such as their names and the actions they took — or did not take — however.
The sheriff’s office released reports on Wednesday night, revealing that Bowers and Watkins were suspended for five days without pay due to not having their body cameras and in-car video activated while they were at the scene of the arrest.
The reports showed that the deputies did not notify dispatch or their supervisor. According to the reports, Watkins did not report on his daily log that he went to the arrest location.
Bonner stated that the sheriff’s office does not think the deputies will be criminally charged.
Bonner said that Bowers and Watkins have been Shelby County deputies since June 2021. The suspensions both began on Wednesday.