The Memphis Police Department and other investigative agencies have been swift in prosecuting the Black officers responsible for the beating death of Memphis motorist Tyre Nichols and eradicating the specialized unit that they were a part of.
In the immediate aftermath of the harrowing video splashed across the news on Friday evening, Jan. 28, 2023, the Memphis police announced they are permanently deactivating the SCORPION Unit after falling into national ignominy.
In a Twitter post on Saturday, Jan. 28, Memphis police said it was “in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate” the unit.
“The officers currently assigned to the unit agree unreservedly with this next step,” the statement reads. “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 attorneys for Nichols’ surviving family, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, concurred with the sentiments that the unit has caused incalculable mortification to the department and city.
Additionally, the two lawyers advise that other cities “take similar action with their saturation police units in the near future to begin to create greater trust in their communities,” they articulated in a statement obtained by CNN.
“We must keep in mind that this is just the next step on this journey for justice and accountability, as clearly this misconduct is not restricted to these specialty units. It extends so much further.”
Amid the national protests and renouncement by a score of celebrities, city leaders said disbanding the unit is just one step in addressing issues within the police force.
“The community has a lot more questions and a lot more demands,” Memphis City Council Member Patrice Robinson told CNN.
“We have gotten emails from many citizens in our community, they’re all concerned and they’re expressing exactly what they see and what they want to see in our police department. We really need to investigate and find out what’s going on.”
Agreeing with the characterization by police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis of her officers’ behavior as “acts that defy humanity,” protests broke out in some major metropolises, including the ones that shut down the I-95 in Memphis and caused disruption in Lower Manhattan in New York.
See below for a full report on the disbandment of the SCORPION Unit below.
