Newly obtained documents identify senior officer at Tyre Nichols’ arrest, show he retired before he could be fired

A lieutenant in the Memphis Police Department has now been identified as being at the scene after the arrest of Tyre Nichols, and according to police files obtained by CNN, chose to retire earlier this month prior to a disciplinary hearing on the case where he would have been fired.

In a letter from February 28, notarized by the agency’s Human Resources department, Lt. Dewayne Smith wrote, “It has been an honor to serve the city that I call my home for the past 25 years. During these years I have been blessed to some challenging assignments with some great people.”

Previously, Smith had not been publicly identified as having been at the scene of the incident. He is alleged to have arrived at the scene and did not immediately “take command” in a supervisory role.

Read more about the documents and Smith on CNN.