Memphis police unit disabled after fatal beating

The shocking death of 29-year-old Tire Nichols has reopened a haunted debate about cop violence in the United States, especially after promises of reform swept the country following the death of another black man, George Floyd, in 2020.

The five officers, who were also black, belonged to Memphis’ Scorpion unit, which launched in November 2021 with the intention of curbing illegal activity in crime hotspots, including covering those areas with more officers.

But on Saturday, the MPD said in a statement that it was “in everyone’s best interest to permanently deactivate the SCORPION unit.”

“The officers currently assigned to the unit are in unqualified agreement with this next step,” it added.

The Nichols family welcomed the decision in a statement from their attorneys, calling it “both appropriate and proportionate to the tragic death of Tire Nichols, as well as a decent and just decision for all Memphis residents.”

“We hope that other cities will take similar action with their saturation police units in the near future to build more trust in their communities,” the family added.

Police Chief Cerelyn Davis, who founded the unit, had previously told CNN that it was at least initially successful, with crime reduced by 2022 after a record 345 homicides the previous year, a number that she said led to “a protest from the community”. .”

The unit, which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods, was intended “to reduce gun violence, be visible in communities and also influence the increase in crime,” she said.

Despite nationwide calls for police reform following Floyd’s death, the number of people who died during interactions with police reached a 10-year high in 2022, with 1,186 fatalities, according to the website Mapping Police Violence.

The officers involved in Nichols’ death face second-degree murder and aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping charges.

Even after a graphic video showing the beating was released on Friday, some key questions remained unanswered, mainly what caused Nichols to be stopped.