Justice Department To Review Memphis Police Following Tyre Nichols Arrest

Topline

The Justice Department will review the Memphis Police Department, as well as the use of specialized police units nationally, after five officers from a special unit were charged with second-degree murder for beating 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, just as city officials prepare to release more video of Nichols’ violent arrest.

Key Facts

The DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) will review “certain policies and practices,” including training, use of force and de-escalation practices used by the Memphis Police Department, the department announced in a statement, two months after Nichols was killed following a routine traffic stop

The department will also review the use of specialized units in policing around the country, including the Memphis Police Department’s so-called SCORPION (Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods) unit that was involved in Nichols’ arrest on January 7.

Memphis officials had requested the review more than a month ago, following nationwide protests in the wake of graphic video released after Nichols’ arrest, showing five officers beating him outside his car.

The Justice Department also said it will provide a “guide for police chiefs and mayors” nationwide to “assess the appropriateness of the use of specialized units” and provide guidance on oversight and management of those units.

Key Background

Harrowing video footage recorded on police body cameras and surveillance cameras released three weeks after Nichols’ death revealed police officers violently kicking and punching him as he lay on the ground, and hitting him with pepper spray as he pleaded with officers to let him go home. FBI Director Christopher Wray said he was “appalled” after watching the video, while Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said the violence she saw in it was “about the same, if not worse” than the 1991 beating of Rodney King at the hands of Los Angeles police, which led to nationwide riots. Five Memphis officers, who were all Black, were fired by the Memphis Police Department on January 20 and pleaded not guilty one month later to charges of second-degree murder, official misconduct and aggravated assault and kidnapping—even after they were found by the Shelby District Attorney’s Office to be “directly responsible” for Nichols’ death. A total of 13 police officers have faced disciplinary charges by the department as a result of Nichols’ arrest, including a sixth officer that was relieved of duty and seven more that faced disciplinary action.

Tangent

Three weeks after Nichols died in a Memphis area hospital from injuries sustained during his arrest, and following nationwide protests sparked by his death, the Memphis Police disbanded its SCORPION unit, which had only been launched 14 months earlier. Memphis officials said at the time the 50-person unit was launched that it had been created to deter violent crime, with a focus on weapons, gangs and larceny in “hot spot areas.” After Nichols’ violent arrest, however, questions emerged as to why a specialized unit was involved in a traffic stop, and why five police officers had responded. Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Nichols’ family, argued the unit’s involvement was “far outside the unit’s stated purpose of stemming violent crime.”

What To Watch For

Memphis officials announced in a City Council meeting Tuessday 20 hours of additional video from Nichols’ arrest will be released Wednesday, following the completion of the city’s investigation into his death. A trial date against the five officers charged with murder is scheduled for May 1. They each face between 15 and 60 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

Further Reading

Tyre Nichols Death: What To Know About The Now-Disbanded ‘SCORPION’ Police Unit That Pulled Him Over (Forbes)

Tyre Nichols Video: Here Are The Key Questions After Shocking Footage Released (Forbes)

FBI Chief ‘Appalled’ At Violent Video Of Tyre Nichols Arrest Ahead Of Public Release (Forbes)

Justice Department to review Memphis Police Department following Tyre Nichols’ death (ABC News)