“While the heinous actions of a few casts a cloud of dishonor on the title Scorpion, it is imperative that we… take proactive steps in the healing process,” police department says in a statement
The Memphis police department announced on Saturday that it has “permanently deactivated” its specialized Scorpion Unit after five of its members were charged with second degree murder and kidnapping in the death of Tyre Nichols.
The announcement came less than 24 hours after the department released video 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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“These types of aggressive units are used in cities across the country and are intended to flood troubled areas with officers to stem high crime,” he wrote, as ABC 24 in Memphis reports. “But what we’ve seen this month in Memphis and for many years in many places, is that the behavior of these units can morph into ‘wolf pack’ misconduct that takes away a person’s liberty or freedom to move, akin to a kidnapping.”
All five Scorpion officers were fired from the force, and charged last week in connection with Nichols death. Two firefighters and two sheriff’s deputies that were on the scene have also been “relieved of duty” pending internal investigations.
