Memphis disbands police unit linked to beating death of Tyre Nichols, as protests continue

Demonstrators gather outside the White House on Friday for a protest over the death of Tyre Nichols. As sporadic crowds continued Saturday to protest the death of Tennessee motorist Tyre Nichols at the hands of law enforcement, the Memphis police chief said she would eliminate the specialized unit implicated in the beating. Cerelyn “CJ” Davis, the police chief, initially told reporters that she wanted to keep the unit intact and would not scuttle it because a few officers had committed “some egregious act.” She reversed her decision Saturday, according to a department news release, after meeting with members of the unit and “listening intently to the family of Tyre Nichols, community leaders, and the uninvolved officers who have done quality work in their assignments.” The remaining officers of the Scorpion unit — which stands for Street Crimes Operations to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods — “agree unreservedly with this next step,” the release said. “While the heinous actions of a few casts a cloud of dishonor on the title SCORPION, it is imperative that we, the Memphis Police Department take proactive steps in the healing process for all impacted.” The announcement came a day after graphic video was released of the incident that fatally injured Nichols, a 29-year-old FedEx worker. “We damn sure don’t stand for beating someone down and murdering someone on the streets.” In a press statement, Smiley also called for the firing of a sixth Memphis police officer who had been on the scene of the Nichols beating, saying the officer had used a Taser on Nichols and “compelled the other officers to stomp him.” Marching through Memphis, protesters alternately chanted Nichols’ name and sang “We Ready,” a 2002 anthem by the late Atlanta rapper Archie Eversole that has become a mainstay at protests nationwide.