What is Scorpion unit? Memphis police unit under scrutiny after Tyre Nichols killing sparks outrage
MEMPHIS, TENNESSE: Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis has announced in a video statement on January 25, Wednesday, that the SCORPION Unit, along with other special units of the Memphis police department will be going under review after Tyre Nichols died as a result of the fatal beating by police officers who were members of the given unit.
“It is my intent as a proactive measure to ensure a complete and independent review is conducted on all the Memphis Police Department’s specialized units,” Davis said, as reported by Fox 18. Tyre Nichols, had a deadly encounter with the police when the motorist was pulled over for suspected reckless driving. He was brutally beaten to death by five police officers named, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith. Nichols died three days later on January 10 in the hospital. The officers were charged with murder, official oppression, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, and official misconduct. They were immediately fired from the force and were taken into custody at the Shelby County jail after they surrendered on January 26.
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What is the Scorpion unit?
SCORPION, which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhood, is a 40-person specialized unit with the objective of bringing down crime levels in particular areas. The unit was first introduced in 2001 and launched in Memphis in October 2021 with a focus on high-impact crimes like car thefts and gang-related crimes, as per NBC News.
According to BBC, the Mayor of Memphis Jim Strickland said in a speech a year ago that from October 2021 until January 2022, the unit made 566 arrests and seized over $100,000 in cash, 253 weapons, and 270 vehicles.
Bennie Cobb, who is a law enforcement analyst and longtime veteran of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office’s SWAT team, also commented on the incident and said that an investigation is absolutely necessary. “It absolutely is time to sit down and review who you have working in these units and what these units are doing,” he said. Cobb further added, “They will create a unit to specialize in a particular type of crime or an uptick in crime." “Over the years, there have been many units similar to the SCORPION Unit but with a different name.” He believes that the unit will probably be dissolved after the investigation is completed.