The police chief in the United States’ city of Memphis announced, on Saturday (January 28) that they will “permanently deactivate” its controversial SCORPION unit. This comes a day after the release of the body camera footage of Tyre Nichols who died after a traffic check descended into a police assault on January 7 which has since led to widespread protests across several cities in the country. Furthermore, as per media reports, all five now-former police officers who were involved in Nichols’ arrest and had been charged with his murder were a part of the Memphis policing unit called SCORPION.
The SCORPION unit which stands for “Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods” was created in October 2021 after the city in the state of Tennessee faced an uptick in violent crime. However, it has since come under scrutiny and criticised after it was first reported that officers from the unit were involved in the alleged killing of the 29-year-old who was seen kicked, punched in the face and head, and assaulted with a baton in the recently released footage.
In the wake of Nichols’ death, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis who had earlier called for a review of all of the police department’s specialised units including the SCORPION unit has since disbanded the controversial unit citing a “cloud of dishonor”. In a statement posted on Twitter, the Memphis police said it was “in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate” the unit.
It added, “The officers currently assigned to the unit agree unreservedly with this next step. While the heinous actions of a few cast 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.” This comes after Davis was previously adamant about retaining the unit and said she would not shut down a unit if a few officers commit “some egregious act”, she said in an interview with the Associated Press.
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According to a statement from Memphis police, on January 7 at around 8:30 pm (local time), officers pulled over a car for alleged reckless driving after which Nichols fled on foot. Subsequently, it led to another confrontation between the officers and Nichols. The 29-year-old passed away three days after the incident as he succumbed to his injuries. The now former Black police officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills, Jr., Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith were involved in the incident, as per Shelby County Sheriff’s Office records, and have since been sacked.
It was previously indicated that some of the five former police officers were from the SCORPION, however, it has since been confirmed that all of them belonged to the unit. They have since been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.
(With inputs from agencies)
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