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Texas

Memphis police chief tasked with investigating murder of Tyre Nichols, fired from former Atlanta job

Harriet Alexander & Keith Griffith

The Memphis Police Department has announced that it will permanently abolish the Scorpion unit after several members were involved in a traffic stop that killed Tire Nichols.

The elite force was created to combat the surge in violent crime, but critics say its aggressive tactics and lack of oversight are a recipe for tragedy. fatal blow 29 years old.

The decision comes after Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn ‘CJ’ Davis met with members of her unit on Saturday to “discuss the future course of action for the department and community in the aftermath of Tire Nichols’ tragic death.” I got

Those involved have come to the conclusion that it is “Permanently disabling SCORPION units is in everyone’s best interest” read the statement.

Scorpion officials “unconditionally” agreed with the decision, the ministry later added.

The police officer involved in Tyre Nichols’ fatal traffic stop is seen wearing the hoodie of the MPD’s organized crime unit, of which SCORPION is a part.

Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney representing the Nichols family, said such a unit could become a “wolf pack” and called for the Scorpion unit to be abolished.

“We believe this was a pattern and practice, and the tire is dead because that pattern and practice were not checked by the people who were supposed to check it,” Crump said at a press conference on Friday.

Five police officers were charged with second-degree murder in Nichols’ death, but it’s unclear how many of them were members of the Scorpion unit, and the MPD has not released that information.

Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney representing the Nichols family, called for the unit to be disbanded, saying street crime units like the Scorpions could become

Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney representing the Nichols family, called for the unit to be disbanded, saying street crime units like the Scorpions could become “a pack of wolves.”

Newly released footage of the first traffic stop that led to Nichols’ death shows officers wearing hoodies bearing the logo of the organized crime unit of which SCORPION is a part, and riding in an unmarked Dodge Charger favored by the unit. indicates that

Founded in October 2021 out of pressure from rising crime, SCORPION stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods. Its mission is to stop murders, assaults and robberies.

Memphis officials said the unit is made up of about 40 officers in four teams that focus on crime hotspots.

Mayor Jim Strickland said in a January 2022 speech that each team will have members focused on car theft, gang investigations and “crime suppression.”

A 2021 video of the unit’s launch showed dozens of officers, mostly men, conducting roll calls before heading out on patrol. Some were wearing plain clothes and driving unmarked vehicles.

In the first few months from October 2021 to January 23, 2022, SCORPION made 566 arrests.

Police are seen next to an unmarked Dodge Charger of the type favored by the SCORPION team after beating Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop on Jan. 7.

Police are seen next to an unmarked Dodge Charger of the type favored by the SCORPION team after beating Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop on Jan. 7.

Founded in October 2021 due to pressure from rising crime, SCORPION stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods.

Founded in October 2021 due to pressure from rising crime, SCORPION stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods.

Of those, 390 were arrested for felonies, according to Strickland. Police seized tens of thousands of dollars and more than 250 weapons, the mayor said.

However, SCORPION’s heavy-handed tactics have long been the subject of complaints.

Cornell McKinney told WREG-TV that the same SCORPION team involved in Nichols’ death stopped him on January 3, four days before Nichols’ fatal beating.

“All I heard was, ‘Freeze, get out of the car. Hands up MF before I blow your head off. Get out of the car together. Raise your hand,’ he said, recalling an incident that happened on the way home with his friend.

“So I put my hand up and one of the officers walked up to the car and physically pulled me out of my shoulder with a gun that was only a foot away from my head,” McKinney said.

McKinney said officers accused him of having drugs in his car and demanded to know which of his two friends had the drugs.

But police later admitted they found no drugs and let the two men go free, he says.

Later, upon seeing the officer charged with Nichols’ death, he recognized that it was the same officer who pulled his face.

Five police officers, Tadarius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmit Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith, were subsequently fired and charged with second-degree murder.

Charged with second-degree murder are (top, left) Tadarius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Emmit Martin III; (bottom, left) Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith

Charged with second-degree murder are (top, left) Tadarius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Emmit Martin III; (bottom, left) Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith

Tyre Nichols pictured at the hospital after the incident. His 29-year-old man from Memphis died on January 10 of cardiac arrest and kidney failure.

Tyre Nichols pictured at the hospital after the incident. The 29-year-old man from Memphis died of cardiac arrest and kidney failure on Jan. 10, three days after he was driven recklessly by police in an unmarked car.

A former Memphis police officer, who said he knew each of the former officers charged, said: CBS news Participating in a SCORPION unit means “most of the time you have to be a go-getter”.

“You have to be someone who wants to make a difference, who wants to catch the bad guys,” he said of the unit’s “proactive” mindset.

The former police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that he “didn’t expect this to happen.”

At least some of the officers charged with killing Nichols were with the Scorpion, raising questions as to whether they were acting as part of the unit when they pulled over Nichols on suspicion of reckless driving.

Nichols, a 29-year-old black man, died in hospital three days after a violent physical confrontation with five black police officers on January 7.

The five officers were subsequently charged with second-degree murder, assault, kidnapping, obstruction of justice, and obstruction of justice and dismissed.

The Nicholls incident raised concerns that the unit had strayed from its core mission, conducted inadequate oversight, and used tactics that increased the risk of violence.

Crump, an attorney for the Nichols family, pointed out that Nichols' encounter with police began with a traffic stop that did not fall under the unit's mandate to combat violent crime.

Crump, an attorney for the Nichols family, pointed out that Nichols’ encounter with police began with a traffic stop that did not fall under the unit’s mandate to combat violent crime.

Crump, an attorney for the Nichols family, pointed out that Nichols’ encounter with police began with a traffic stop that did not fall under the unit’s mandate to deal with violent crime.

Critics say such a stop is an excuse to search for weapons and drugs, which can escalate into violence.

This is not the first time such a force has faced scrutiny.

In 2020, following the police killing of George Floyd, New York City dismantled its crime-fighting unit, which operated with tactics and goals similar to SCORPION.

Last January, amid a surge in violent crime, the Crime Unit faced restrictions weeks after former NYPD captain Eric Adams took office, vowing to be tough on crime.

This week, Memphis Police Chief Serelyn Davis announced a review of all specialized units in the police force, including SCORPION, following Nichols’ death. She called the incident “heinous, reckless and inhumane”.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11688829/Memphis-police-chief-tasked-investigating-Tyre-Nichols-murder-fired-previous-job-Atlanta.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 Memphis police chief tasked with investigating murder of Tyre Nichols, fired from former Atlanta job

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