The Memphis Police Department has deactivated its SCORPION Unit, the task force at the center of Nichols’ death, the department said Saturday.
The decision came after Chief Cerelyn Davis met with other members of the unit, who agreed with the deactivation, according to a statement from the department.
“In the process of listening intently to the family of Tyre Nichols, community leaders, and the uninvolved officers who have done quality work in their assignments, it is in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate the SCORPION Unit,” the statement said.
All five officers fired and charged in connection with Nichols’ death were in the unit, which had been inactive since the fatal encounter.
The 40-officer SCORPION unit, which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods, launched in November 2021 and focused on “high crime hotspots,” the department said at the time.