State Board suspends two Memphis paramedics after Tire Nichols’ death

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two Memphis Fire Department paramedics who were fired for failing to help Tire Nichols after he was beaten by police had their licenses suspended Friday.

The Board of Emergency Medical Services called an emergency meeting in Nashville to rule on license suspensions for EMT Advanced JaMichael Sandridge and EMT Robert Long.

Sandridge and Long were two of three fire department employees who were fired Jan. 30 for their role in the death of Tire Nichols.

They ruled that neither Sandridge nor Long helped Nichols, who was clearly in distress. The interruption of care lasted 19 minutes, they said.

The council also said the two had not done a primary or secondary investigation. Vital signs were not taken, Nichols was not given high-flow oxygen or an IV, and there was no heart monitoring.

They voted to suspend their licenses.

“They were his best shot, and they failed him,” a council member said during the hearing.

MFD officials said they were sent on a pepper spray call that night. They eventually took Nichols to Saint Francis Hospital.

The board did not address the actions of Michelle Whitaker. The former MFD lieutenant was also fired for her involvement that night. Officials said she remained in the truck.

This investigation is ongoing and further action may be taken.

Nichols, 29, died Jan. 10, three days after a traffic stoppage in the Hickory Hill neighborhood left him fighting for his life. Police videos showed several officers beating him, kicking him and spraying him with pepper spray, then leaving him propped up in the street until medical personnel arrived.

Emergency crews were first dispatched to the scene for a pepper spray incident.

Five Memphis police officers have been fired and charged with second-degree murder, among other charges. Other Shelby County officers and deputies are still under investigation.

The police department has asked that the officers involved be decertified.