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Who is Monterrious Harris? Memphis cops who allegedly beat up Tyre Nichols accused of punching and stomping another Black man

'The only crime Mr. Harris had committed was being young and African American,' Monterrious Harris' attorneys said

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some readers. Discretion is advised.

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: Five Memphis cops who allegedly brutally beat Tyre Nichols to death last month have been accused of assaulting another Black man just three days before the incident, as per a federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday, February 7. 22-year-old Monterrious Harris is seeking $5 million in the federal lawsuit. The suit, filed against the officers and the city of Memphis, alleges the cops were among various members of the Scorpion unit who punched, stomped and dragged Harris across concrete while arresting him on January 4. 

The lawsuit claims that just like Nichols, the officers stopped Harris, who believes the only reason he was not killed or more severely injured is because bystanders stepped in. The complaint claims he was then taken into custody and "false criminal charges" were filed against him. "The only crime Mr. Harris had committed was being young and African American," his attorneys said in the complaint.

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Meanwhile, five former Memphis cops have been fired and charged with murder in the death of Nichols, a Black man, who died three days after being brutally beaten by them at a traffic stop. The five officers who have been charged are Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith, all of whom are Black. All the officers involved in the attack were members of the Scorpian unit, a group the Memphis Police Department created to tackle street crime. The MPD has now disbanded the Scorpion special unit.

Who is Monterrious Harris?

Not much has been revealed about Harris except that he was allegedly threatened that he would be killed by Scorpion Unit officers if he did not exit his car while parking outside his cousin's apartment complex. Harris initially failed to realize that the people were police officers, who he said were dressed in black with black ski masks, and assumed he was being robbed. This instinctively made him reverse his car, which hit something. He then got out of the vehicle, raising his hands.

The cops then allegedly began assaulting him until witnesses stepped in. Eight Scorpion Unit officers have been named as defendants, including the five cops who allegedly beat up Nichols. The complaint states Harris was taken to jail and eventually to a hospital after a nurse said he needed treatment of his injuries. "It was really scary," Harris told FOX13. "It was just even more terrifying that days later I found out that these same guys who beat me up turned around and killed this man."

Of Nichols' death, the complaint says, according to Buzzfeed News, "While his violent and untimely death can never be justified, Mr. Nichols’ indefensible suffering has brought Defendant City of Memphis’ latest constitutional abuses out of the darkness and into the light, igniting a fire to completely – and perhaps finally – expose and extricate police abuses in Memphis. Like a grain of wheat, Mr. Nichols fell to the earth and died; but his death is hopefully slowly bearing fruit."

What does the incident report say?

According to the police officers' incident report, they found a "strong marijuana smell" coming from Harris' car. They also accused him of trying to run from officers. The cops alleged they found several guns in the car. However, Harris' attorneys said he was unarmed, and that his cousin, who was a licensed gun owner, placed the firearm inside his car. Harris had no knowledge of this, they claimed.

"Although the Scorpion Unit masqueraded as a tactical unit of the Memphis Police Department, in actuality, the Scorpion Unit was a group of violent aggressors, employed by the Memphis Police Department, to terrorize African-American communities in Memphis, Tennessee," the lawsuit says.

'Prison is a great place for these tough guys'

Furious social media users reacted to the news, with one of them saying, "Keep them coming I hope anyone that has gone thru this comes forward". Another wrote, "There is no way that was their first rodeo. You don't wake up one day and do that." "How do guys like this wind up with a badge? The system is obviously flawed when it comes to hiring. What’s most disturbing is the fact that 5 officers who were together were all on the same page! You figure at least one would intervene…," one user said. "Like a gang. Who would think 5 black men would act in this manner," one user said, while another wrote, "A prison is a great place for these tough guys!" "These thugs need to be behind bars - they’re sure to get a welcoming committee," said one user.

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