Memphis investigating seven more officers in Tyre Nichols case

Memphis Police Department has relieved seven officers of duty in connection to Tyre Nichols' death

Memphis is investigating seven more officers in the case of Tyre Nichols, an attorney for the city has said.

In total, 13 police officers could be disciplined for "policy violations", Jennifer Sink told Memphis City Council on Tuesday.

She declined to name the officers currently being investigated, saying the probe was not complete.

Mr Nichols, 29, died days after being beaten by members of the Memphis police force following a traffic stop.

His death has renewed nationwide calls for police reform, and his family will be attending President Joe Biden's State of the Union address on Tuesday night in Washington DC.

The president is expected to push for reforms in the televised speech.

To date, seven police officers have been relieved of duty in connection with the death of Mr Nichols, who was black, including six who were fired and one unnamed officer who was suspended.

Five of the officers fired - all of whom are also black - have been charged with his murder.

Three emergency medical workers have also been fired for not providing Mr Nichols with adequate care.

In a written statement to the BBC on Tuesday, Ms Sink said that an administrative investigation is under way for the additional officers to "determine if city policies were violated and what disciplinary action should be taken".

The "information is subject to change", she said, and Memphis officials expect to share more information next week after hearings have been held.

• Who was Tyre Nichols?

• What the Tyre Nichols arrest videos reveal

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis told the city council that Memphis is "still adding names to the list" of officers charged in the incident.

She said around 10 police officers responded to the 7 January traffic stop.

Video footage of the encounter released two weeks ago shows police using a taser, and pepper-spraying and hitting Mr Nichols.

The meeting, which focused on reforms in the wake of his death, was the first held since that footage was released to the public.

One of the five police officers who was fired took a photograph of Mr Nichols and sent it to others, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing a police document.

Officer Demetrius Haley was seen in the video footage appearing to take a photo. He then sent it to at least five people, including two other officers, a civilian employee of the Memphis Police department, and a female acquaintance, the paper reported.