Five former Memphis police officers in an elite unit tasked with fighting rising crime rates in the city are behind bars facing second-degree murder charges.
On Friday, the beleaguered Memphis Police Department released videos showing the beating of Tyre Nichols by Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith.
Nichols was black, as were all five officers charged with his death.
The officers belonged to the SCORPION unit, a so-called crime suppression unit, which Memphis' chief of police has since disbanded.
CNN further reports:
“The officers currently assigned to the unit agree unreservedly with this next step,” police 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.”
Nichols family attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci praised the department's decision to disband the unit and called for other cities to “take similar action with their saturation police units in the near future to begin to create greater trust in their communities.”
“We must keep in mind that this is just the next step on this journey for justice and accountability, as clearly this misconduct is not restricted to these specialty units. It extends so much further,” the attorneys said in a joint statement.
Some city leaders said disbanding the unit is just one step in addressing issues within the police force.
One pundit noted that a group like the SCORPION unit wouldn't be out looking for traffic infractions but rather conducting zero-tolerance policing, a controversial strategy that includes stopping pedestrians and drivers considered to be acting suspiciously.
The beatings began shortly after one of the officers yanked Nichols, 29, out of his vehicle following a traffic stop. Nichols ran off as an officer fired his Taser at him.
After a brief manhunt, Nichols was apprehended at a nearby intersection, where the five officers pummeled him viciously with their hands, feet and a baton. The melee included multiple punches to Nichols' head as he lay on the ground.
Paramedics rendered medical aid 20 minutes later. Nichols died after three days in the hospital.
One officer can be heard on camera saying that Nichols reached for his gun during the initial altercation. Video footage doesn't corroborate that claim.
After the beatings ended, Nichols was propped up against a squad car. Remarking on his behavior, officers speculated that he must have been high. However, no drugs were found at the scene.
According to authorities, there doesn't appear to be any justification for Nichols' stop.
On Saturday, Fox News' Dan Bongino reacted to the latest developments.
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The Memphis Police Chief clearly did superior management work in speedily firing and charging these five cops once she’d seen the videos. Clearly, the cops were at fault and not being managed by anyone but themselves. And YET: HOW DID FIVE COPS GO SO BAD SO UNANIMOUSLY? The individual cops’ history as police officers need to be reviewed, of course. BUT ALSO: the department’s recruitment, hiring and training processes need to be reviewed. Also, the particular management of the Scorpion Unit.
Memphis will be a much more dangerous city as a result….the inmates are running the asylum.