State suspends license for former MFD employees involved in Tyre Nichols case

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two former Memphis Fire Department employees had their licenses suspended days after being fired from the fire department for their role in the Tyre Nichols death investigation.

The Emergency Medical Services Board held an emergency meeting on Friday, February 3, 2023 to announce the suspension of those licenses.

“It’s pretty obvious when you stand around and not render care that that is a violation of the oath that they took to aid someone in need,” a board member said during the vote to suspend those EMTs’ licenses.

RELATED: Graphic video shows Memphis Police beating Tyre Nichols

Those medical licenses belonged to EMTs Robert Long and JaMichaeal Sandridge both of whom were fired by the Memphis Fire Department on January 30, three days after the City of Memphis released video of Tyre Nichols beating beaten by five Memphis Police officers.

On Friday, the State Emergency Medical Services Board watched a video from a skycop camera and unanimously voted to suspend the men’s licenses.

“These actions were negligent and there was a lack of action which endangered the patient by failure to apply the fundamentals to the standard of care,” another board member said.

“In multiple points of the video, there are times where the respondents are just standing around not offering care or treatment,” said Matt Gibbs, Department of Health attorney.

An internal investigation by the Memphis Fire Department found that two EMTs “failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Mr. Nichols,” and that the EMTs along with Whitaker violated “numerous” department policies and protocols.

“Their actions or inactions on the scene that night do not meet the expectations of the Memphis Fire Department and are not reflective of the outstanding service the men and women of the Memphis Fire Department provide daily in our community,” MFD said in a statement.

According to an affidavit from the Memphis Fire Department Long and Sandbridge arrived at the scene carrying medical supply bags while Tyre Nichols was handcuffed and slumped against the side of a police car.

“This is a grievous behavior for any human being, and this is not the reflection of EMS in the state of Tennessee,” said Dennis Rowe, Tennessee Emergency Medical Services Board member.

During a virtual meeting, Friday board members watched 19 minutes of video that shows the two EMTs.

Matt Gibbs, an attorney for the State Department of Health said they failed to provide proper care.

“Vital signs were not taken. A full head-to-toe examination was not taken. Neither did Mr. Sandbridge nor Mr. Long administer high full oxygen. Mr. Sandbridge as the advanced EMT did not administer the IV and did not perform cardiac monitoring,” Gibbs said.

Board member Jeff Beamon said there may have been other licensed EMTs on the scene who could have intervened and prevented the death of Nichols.

But Gibbs said the two license suspensions are not the end of this investigation.

“He was in terrible distress, and he needed help. They were his best shot and they failed him,” said Sullivan Smith Tennessee Emergency Medical Services Board member.

Michelle Whitaker was the third Memphis fire employee terminated, but she did not have her license suspended.

She was in the truck while the EMTs responded to Nichols.