In this still from video released by the City of Memphis, officers
appear to spray Tyre Nichols with pepper spray. / Photo by city of
Memphis
The Memphis Police Department in Tennessee has permanently disbanded
its SCORPION unit, the latest in the aftermath of Friday's release of
video showing members of the unit brutally beating Tyre Nichols, who
died of his injuries.
The SCORPION unit was launched in 2021 in
response to rising crime in the city, but it was heavily criticized
after Nichols' death.
Background:
- Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was pulled over by Memphis police on suspicion of reckless driving on Jan. 7.
- The
Memphis Police Department's initial press release said a "confrontation
occurred" before Nichols ran away, and then "another confrontation" as
he was arrested before an ambulance was called after he complained of
shortness of breath.
- Nichols died on Jan. 10 from his injuries.
- An
internal investigation began on Jan. 15, which resulted in five
officers being fired for violating policies against excessive use of
force and requiring a duty to intervene and render aid.
- The U.S. Department of Justice launched its own investigation on Jan. 18.
- The five officers were arrested on Thursday and charged with second-degree murder, among other charges.
The footage:
- The city of Memphis released body cam and surveillance footage on Friday evening.
- The
video shows Nichols calling for his mother as officers struck him
multiple times, including on his face while his hands were restrained.
- In
the first encounter, an officer sprays him in the face with pepper
spray. After he struggles to his feet and runs away, another shot a
taser at him, which didn't make contact.
- After officers catch him on a nearby street a few minutes later, he is struck at least nine times without visible provocation.
- Several minutes after the beating ends, paramedics arrive but don't help until an ambulance shows up 21 minutes later.
The aftermath:
- In
addition to the five Memphis officers being fired, the Shelby County
Sheriff placed two deputies on leave pending an investigation into their
actions later in the video after the beating, and the Memphis Fire
Department put two employees on leave who were part of Nichols' "initial
patient care."
- The police department announced the dissolution
of the SCORPION unit on Saturday, saying it was "in the best interest
of all" to dissolve the unit.
- The SCORPION unit was a specialized division with 40 officers split into four groups to patrol "high crime hotspots."
- Protests took place in several cities across the nation on Friday night, including one in Memphis that shut down all lanes of Interstate 55.
