Tyre Nichols’ Stepfather Denies Son Had an Affair With Memphis Officer’s Wife, Suggests Police Department is Behind the Viral Rumor

Tyre Nichols’ family is denying reports about his purported relationship with a woman who has ties to one of the Memphis Police Officers who killed him.

Following the release of the damning bodycam footage, which shows five officers brutally pounding Nichols, a social media tale surfaced, which appeared to paint a motive for the attack. While its origins are unknown, the story goes that when Nichols was employed with FedEx, he began dating an ex-partner of officer Demetrius Haley. Haley is one of the men seen in the tape beating and pepper spraying Nichols. This unverified story caused many to believe that the offices targeted Nichols for revenge. In fact, it caught so much attention that the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office told Newsweek that they were investigating it.

During Tuesday’s prayer visual, Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, shut down these accusations. 

“My son was not messing around with one of the officer’s wives. That’s just a rumor,” he confirmed. Wells implied that the rumor was another way for the Memphis Police Department to cover its tracks. 

Haley, along with Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills, Jr., Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith, were a part of the now-disbanded Scorpion Unit. The subdivision of the department was supposed to focus on protecting high-crime areas. Instead, they killed an unarmed man who posed no threat to them as he pleaded for his life. They’ve all been charged with one count of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, and official misconduct and official oppression. Each man has been relieved of their duties and has since bonded out of jail.