The Memphis police department has “permanently deactivated” its Scorpion Unit after five of its members were charged with second degree murder and kidnapping in the death of Tyre Nichols
of Nichols’ violent Jan. 7 traffic stop, in which five Scorpion officers kicked, punched, and struck Nichols with a baton while he called to his mother for help. The 29-year-old died in the hospital three days later.
“In the process of listening intently to the family of Tyre Nichols, community leaders, and the uninvolved officers who have done quality work in their assignment, it is in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate the SCORPION Unit,” the department said in a statement. According to the statement, “the officers currently assigned to the unit agree unreservedly with this next step. While the heinous actions of a few casts a cloud of dishonor on the title SCORPION, it is imperative that we, the Memphis Police Department take proactive steps in the healing process for all impacted.”
The Scorpion Unit — which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods — was launched in November 2021 as an anti-violence unit when the murder rate in Memphis was rising. The unit’s primary focus, according to the department, was to reduce violent crime “and the saturation of hot spot areas throughout the city.”
In an open letter earlier this week, an attorney representing Nichols’ family, Ben Crump, called for an end to the Scorpion Units, and other “saturation unit policing” around the country.
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