Memphis police permanently scrap SCORPION unit tied to the deadly beating of Tyre Nichols

The Memphis Police Department announced Saturday that it will permanently deactivate the department's SCORPION unit. 

Some of the five former Memphis police officers accused in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols were members of the unit, which was tasked with tackling rising crime in the city.

“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," a statement from the police department reads. "The officers currently assigned to the unit agree unreservedly with this next step."

“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 of all those impacted. The Memphis Police Department remains committed to serving our community and taking every measure possible to rebuild the trust that has been negatively affected by the death of Mr. Tyre Nichols,” the statement said.

More background: When it was launched in 2021, the SCORPION unit – which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods – was heralded by local leaders as a direct response to some of the city’s worst crime, including homicides.

The unit was used in targeted deployments, which put officers into areas where police were tracking upticks in violent crime.

In the wake of Nichols' death, and the revelation that some of the officers involved were from the unit, CNN reported that SCORPION had been inactivated during a review of all such special units in the force.

Nichols' family attorney Antonio Romanucci had called on Memphis police to permanently disband the unit immediately.

You can read more about the Memphis SCORPION unit here.

CNN's Chandelis Duster contributed reporting to this post.