Police unit disbanded following Tyre Nicholas death

The so-called Scorpion special squad of the Memphis Police Department has been disbanded because one of its members is suspected of killing Tyre Nichols.

"Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods" is what Scorpion stands for.

This 50-person unit's goal is to lower crime rates in specific neighborhoods.

However, it has now been abolished when Mr. Nichols, 29, was seen being beaten by its officers in footage from 7 January.

In a statement, the department said "it is in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate" the unit.

"While the heinous actions of a few casts a cloud of dishonour on the title Scorpion, it is imperative that we, the Memphis Police Department, take proactive steps in the healing process for all impacted," it added.

Tyre Nichols died tragically, therefore the judgment was "both reasonable and proportionate to the tragic death of Tyre Nichols, and also a decent and just decision for all people of Memphis," according to a statement from Mr. Nichols' family's attorneys.

With an emphasis on high-impact crimes such as car thefts and gang-related offenses, the unit was established in October 2021.

The five cops, Justin Smith, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Tadarrius Bean, and Emmitt Martin III, were discharged last week.

Each of them is accused of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression. They were both arrested on Thursday.

According to jail records, four of the five secured bond and were freed from custody by Friday morning.

Martin and Mills' attorneys have declared that their clients will enter a not-guilty plea.

"The unit that murdered Tyre has been permanently disbanded," a protester shouted into a megaphone in Memphis and the crowd erupted into cheers. 

Less than 100 protesters had assembled in the square in front of the Memphis Police headquarters despite the rain to call for change to a policing system that they claimed routinely brutalizes black people in Memphis and around the nation.

"Memphis is taking a stand," said Casio Montez, one of the protest organisers. "This means we're doing something right."

Mr. Montez said that unless "the community's demands are satisfied," including restructuring the department's organized crime unit, he and other community organizers would keep up pressure on Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis and municipal authorities.

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