The Memphis police chief dissolved the Scorpion squad on Saturday, saying that the recently released video showing some of its officers pounding to death Black motorist Tyre Nichols cast a "cloud of disgrace" over the department.
Director of Public Safety Cerelyn "CJ" Davis said she spoke with Nichols' family, local officials, and unbiased police before taking action a day after the disturbing video went viral.
Her statement came as the country and city grappled with Black policemen's brutality. The Tyre Nichols Death video raised fresh questions about why people kept dying at the hands of police officers despite widespread outcries for reform, according to AP News.
There was rejoicing among the protesters moving through downtown Memphis when they learned the unit had been abolished. A protester shouted via a bullhorn that the squad responsible for Tyre Nichols Death had been dissolved "permanently."
In a statement released by their attorneys, Nichols' family expressed satisfaction with the verdict, calling it "both appropriate and proportional to the tragic death of Tyre Nichols," and regarded the measure as a reasonable judgment for the people of Memphis.
In October 2021, the Memphis police Scorpion unit began targeting high-impact offenses, including vehicle thefts and gang activity.
Police Brutality Seen in Released Video
This past week, Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith lost their jobs. They were arrested on Thursday and charged with second-degree murder, assault, abduction, governmental misconduct, and oppression, according to the BBC.
On Friday morning, according to the prison log, four of the five had paid bond and were freed.
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was severely beaten by police during a traffic stop on January 7, according to body camera video that the Memphis Police Department released of the incident.
The released video includes footage from a SkyCop camera and the officers' body cameras and is comprised of four parts. Tyre Nichols could be seen in the footage being yelled at by law enforcement officers before they were forcefully taken from the vehicle, as per a previous HNGN report.
The video recordings have been termed as "absolutely appalling," "alarming," and "unconscionable" by law enforcement officers and lawyers for Nichols' family. The first video to be published was shot by a police officer and lasted for almost 11 minutes.
The attorney for the Nichols family stated their client was handled like a "human piñata" by the cops. He told BBC that the incident was an "unadulterated, unabashed, non-stop beating" of the victim.
Protesters Marched To the White House
Peaceful demonstrations were held in numerous cities throughout the nation on Friday after Tyre Nichols Death. Protesters gathered outside the White House to voice their outrage Tyre Nichols Death caused by police brutality.
By the time the body cam footage of Tyre Nichols' fatal police assault was made public on Friday night, there were roughly 60 people gathered in Black Lives Matter Plaza to offer their support, according to Fox 5 Washington.
The demonstrators, for the most part, were peaceful and chanted demands for transparency and justice from the administration and the police.