The police force of the US city of Memphis has disbanded the Scorpion street brigade. The unit has come under heavy fire after five officers used excessive force in an arrest on January 7 that led to the death of black American Tire Nichols.
Scorpion stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods. The unit consists of three teams of about thirty officers who target violent offenders in high-crime areas. On Friday, Police Commissioner Cerelyn Davis said that the entire group should not be subjected to the behavior of a few officers, but she came back after talking to Nichols’ family, leaders from the affected communities and other members of Scorpion.
“It is in everyone’s best interest to permanently deactivate the Scorpion unit,” she said in a statement Saturday. “The officers who are part of the unit fully support this step. Now that the horrific acts of some members have cast the group in a bad light, it is imperative that we as the Memphis Police Department act proactively.”
Excessive violence
Video footage was released Friday night of Nichols being assaulted by five officers. This happened after a traffic check. The footage shows Nichols, who did not resist and repeatedly called for help, being beaten, kicked and stabbed. He died a few days later. The five officers involved, who are also black, were previously fired for excessive force and were charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault on Thursday.
The images led to outrage and demonstrations in several cities in the US. President Joe Biden said he was “outraged and saddened” after seeing the footage.
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