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☆ Abuses Proliferate in Police Squads Like Memphis's Scorpion Unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

Street Crime Unit. Jon Naso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesMemphis police chief Davis also has prior experience with special street crime units. Street crime squads are popular among politicians who say only aggressive policing will reduce violent crime. In the late 1990s, the Street Crime Unit tripled in size, amid a panic over a rising number of homicides. In a city grappling with violent crime, authorities touted the Street Crime Unit as a bright spot.

Following the brutal beating on Jan. 7, Nichols was hospitalized in critical condition and died three days later. This is what we know about the five Memphis police officers at the center of this latest storm:Demetrius Haley, 30Officer Demetrius Haley. Memphis Police Department via APBefore Haley joined the Memphis Police Department in August 2020, he worked as a corrections officer for the Shelby County Corrections Department. Memphis Police Department via APBean's family was thrilled when he was hired in August 2020 by the Memphis Police Department. Memphis Police Department via APSmith was hired by the Memphis Police Department in March 2018.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As their son lay bleeding from mortal injuries, the family of Tyre Nichols said Friday not only did police fail to render aid — they callously smoked cigarettes in the moments following the fatal beatdown. A grand jury on Friday indicted five former Memphis police officers, charging them with second-degree murder, in connection to Nichols' death. RowVaughn Wells, center, arrives at a news conference with civil rights Attorney Ben Crump in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 23, 2023. The police footage will also show Nichols calling out for his mother and moaning in agony following the beating, his family said. A portrait of Tyre Nichols is displayed at a memorial service in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 17.

Wells warned of the contents of the video, called it "horrific," and asked people to protest in peace after its release. Crump has said it reminded him of “the Rodney King video,” referring to the 1991 bystander video of Los Angeles police officers beating a Black man. Two of the officers, Mills and Smith, posted $250,000 bond and were released late Thursday. Haley, Martin and Bean had remained in custody Thursday night, jail records showed. “I expect you to feel what the Nichols family feels,” she said.

“The Scorpion unit was involved,” Shelby County, Tennessee, District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Thursday at a news conference where he announced murder charges against five officers. Davis has called “heinous, reckless and inhumane,” has increased scrutiny of the city’s reliance on specialized units to suppress violent crime. This week, Davis announced a review of all of the police department’s specialized units, including Scorpion, in response to Nichols’ death. Memphis’ Scorpion unit was created in October 2021 under the police department’s Organized Crime Unit. Mayor Jim Strickland promoted the new Scorpion unit as part of the solution in his January 2022 State of the City speech.

☆ Memphis police officers were charged with murder less than 20 days after Tyre Nichols' death. A civil rights lawyer says 'swift justice' should be the 'blueprint going forward.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Isaiah Reynolds | Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Five Memphis police officers were charged with second-degree murder within 20 days of the death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said this example of "swift justice" should set a precedent for future cases of police aggression. Tyre Nichols died three days after being held at a traffic stop and beaten by Memphis police officers. "We have never seen swift justice like this," Crump said at a press conference in Memphis' Mount Olive CME Church. Crump called out the "institutionalized police culture" that he attributes for the death of Tyre Nichols.

An annotated satellite image of the Memphis neighborhood where Tyre Nichols was fatally beaten by police officers shows a timeline of the encounter, from the traffic stop to the beating. Nichols’s mother’s house Ross Rd. Nichols’s mother’s house About 8:27 p.m. Nichols runs toward his mother’s house. About 8:24 p.m. Police confront Tyre Nichols at a traffic stop. At least three officers slap and punch Mr. Nichols, who screams, “Mom!”“Hit him!” one officer yells as another beats Mr. Nichols with a baton.

☆ The timeline of Tyre Nichols' death, from being stopped by Memphis cops to officers being charged with his murder
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Tyre Nichols died after he was beaten by Memphis police officers, his family's attorneys say. The Memphis Police Department has not released many details about the case, but Police Chief Cerelyn Davis condemned the incident as "heinous, reckless, and inhumane." January 10: Nichols diesThe Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced that Nichols had "succumbed to his injuries." January 20: Memphis Police says five officers firedMemphis police officers Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Dean, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin, and Desmond Mills Jr. are facing murder charges. Wells added that the footage showed Nichols repeatedly calling out for his mother, according to The Washington Post.

☆ A defense attorney for one of the Memphis cops charged with fatally beating Tyre Nichols said 'no one' 'intended' for him to die. Nichols' family isn't buying that argument.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An attorney for one of the cops charged in Tyre Nichols' death said nobody "intended" for him to die. But a lawyer for the victim's family told Insider the officer's actions were "designed to harm." But a lawyer for Nichols' family said the officers' "actions were designed to kill." But attorneys for Nichols' family, who have already viewed the police body-camera video, said it shows the five Black officers beating Nichols like a "human pinata" for three straight minutes. Authorities allege 29-year-old Nichols was severely beaten by Martin, Mills, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith during a traffic stop on January 7.

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan 27 (Reuters) - The police department in the city of Memphis was set on Friday to release body-camera video of a violent confrontation between a Black motorist and five police officers charged with murder in his death earlier this month. Nichols succumbed to injuries he sustained from his encounter with police and died while hospitalized on Jan. 10, three days after he was pulled over while driving. The last words heard on the video were Nichols calling out for his mother three times, Crump said. Two members of the Memphis Fire Department involved in the response have been relieved of their duties pending a separate inquiry. PUBLIC OUTRAGE EXPECTEDAdditional Memphis police officers remain under investigation for policy infractions, Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said on Thursday in a message posted to YouTube.

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan 27 (Reuters) - Tyre Nichols repeatedly cried, "Mom! The first video released on Friday shows officers dragging Nichols from the driver's seat of his car stopped at an intersection as he yells, "I didn't do anything ... Other footage shows a subsequent struggle after officers catch up with Nichols again in a nearby neighborhood. "No mother should go through what I am going through right now, no mother, to lose their child to the violent way that I lost my child," said Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells. Nichols' family and Biden appealed for calm in Memphis, a city of 628,000 where nearly 65% of residents are Black.

☆ Video of Tyre Nichols being killed by police is due to be released Friday — even the police chief says what it shows is 'heinous' and 'inhumane'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tyre Nichols' arrest video is shocking, the Memphis police chief warned the public. Nichols died after 5 police officers beat him at a traffic stop, family attorneys said. Nichols' family and their lawyers were allowed to privately view the body cam footage of Nichols' arrest, the Memphis police said. David Rausch, the Director of Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, described the footage as shocking: "I'm sickened by what I saw. Davis, the police chief, noted that other officers were still under investigation "for departmental policy violations."

☆ RowVaughn Wells begs parents not to show kids video of her son Tyre Nichols being beaten by Memphis police
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tyre Nichols' mom pleaded with parents not to let kids see body-cam footage of her son's beating. His mom said Friday that she hasn't seen the video but heard it's "very horrific, very horrific." Prosecutors say 29-year-old Nichols, who was Black, was severely beaten by five now-fired Memphis Police Department officers during a traffic stop on January 7. Attorneys for the Nichols family who have seen the body camera video said it shows five Black officers beating Nichols like a "human pinata" for three straight minutes. A portrait of Tyre Nichols is displayed at a memorial service for him on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023 in Memphis, Tenn. Nichols was killed during a traffic stop with Memphis Police on Jan. 7.

☆ 'Hope that those officers get what they deserve,' says man who accused ex-officer in Tyre Nichols case of 2015 jailhouse assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Doha Madani | Tim Stelloh | Doha Madani Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. Pronouns | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

One of the officers Sledge named in his complaint was Demetrius Haley, who according to the suit worked for the county department of corrections at the time. Haley was terminated from the Memphis Police Department over multiple policy violations in the Jan. 7 traffic stop of Nichols, including use of force. Sledge was unaware that Haley was one of the officers involved in the Nichols case until he was contacted by NBC News. “I just hope that those officers get what they deserve and set an example for the rest of officers,” Sledge said. The five officers terminated last week “were found to be directly responsible for the physical abuse of Mr. Nichols,” Davis said.

Five former Memphis, Tennessee, police officers are in custody in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols, jail records show. They “were found to be directly responsible for the physical abuse of Mr. Nichols,” Davis said in a video statement Wednesday night. A "confrontation" followed, the department said at the time, and officers pursued Nichols when he fled on foot. Tyre Nichols in the hospital. Five Memphis police officers were fired in connection with a traffic stop that led to the death of Tyre Nichols.

The five officers have been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping and official misconduct, Mulroy said. Other Memphis officers remain under investigation for policy infractions, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said on Wednesday. "I expect you to feel what the Nichols family feels. The Nichols family viewed the police footage on Monday with their attorney, Ben Crump. The last words heard on the video were Nichols calling for his mother three times, Crump said.

☆ Rodney King's daughter calls Tyre Nichols' police beating death 'sickening' 32 years after her father's assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Rodney King's daughter is sickened by beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. Lora King says the race of the 5 officers involved in Nichols' beating is irrelevant. On Monday, law enforcement officials allowed Nichols' family and their lawyers to privately view body-camera footage of Nichols' arrest. In the wake of the killing, attorneys for the Nichols family compared his beating to that of King's. Rodney King AP Images"Hashtags and clearer videos"Lora King said she wishes that 32 years after her father's infamous beating the world would have progressed beyond unjustified police killings of Black men.

☆ 2 Memphis fire department personnel 'relieved of duty' in connection to Tyre Nichols' death
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Two Memphis, Tennessee, fire department personnel were "relieved of duty" while an internal investigation was conducted into the death of Tyre Nichols, a Black man who died days after a traffic stop. Memphis Fire Department spokesperson Qwanesha Ward said the employees were "involved in the initial patient care" of Nichols but did not provide further details. Nichols, 29, was stopped by Memphis police on Jan. 7 for reckless driving, the department said. In addition to the fire department personnel who were relieved of duty, five police officers involved in the traffic stop were fired after an administrative investigation found they violated department policies, Police Chief C.J. The Department of Justice and FBI's Memphis field office also announced a civil rights investigation into the traffic stop.

Family members of Tyre Nichols are set to meet with officials Monday to view footage of the traffic stop that led to his death, three days after he was hospitalized in critical condition. Nichols' family scheduled a press conference to follow their viewing of the video of the traffic stop. Family members and local activists hold a rally for Tyre Nichols at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 16, 2023. Tyre Nichols. Courtesy familyNichols' case is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations and the Department of Justice, which announced it was launching a civil rights inquiry into the traffic stop.

Jan 23 (Reuters) - The video of Memphis police beating a Black man who died after a traffic stop on Jan. 7 reminded civil rights attorney Ben Crump of the assault on Rodney King, Crump said after viewing the police bodycam recording with the man's family on Monday. Crump said the video reminded him of how Los Angeles police repeatedly beat King in video captured by a witness in 1991, sparking protests and reforms in the department. "Regrettably, it reminded us of (the) Rodney King video," said Crump, who previously represented the families of George Floyd and Trayvon Martin. "Regrettably, unlike Rodney King, Tyre didn't survive." Nichols was less than 100 yards (meters) from home during the traffic stop and called out for this mother three times at the end of the video, Crump told a news conference.

☆ 5 Memphis police officers fired after traffic stop leads to hospitalization, death of Tyre Nichols
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Tim Stelloh | Tim Stelloh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Five Memphis police officers were fired Friday after the chief said they violated department policies during a traffic stop in Tennessee this month that ended with the hospitalization and death of a 29-year-old man. “The Memphis Police Department is committed to protecting and defending the rights of every citizen in our city,” Davis said. In an emailed statement, Memphis Police Association President Lt. Essica Cage-Rosario cited an ongoing criminal investigation into Nichols’ death and declined to comment on the officers’ firing. Courtesy familyIn a statement, lawyers for the family said the officers' firing was a first step toward justice for Nichols and his family. A "confrontation" followed, the department said at the time, and officers pursued Nichols when he fled on foot.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's $10 million in investment in Semafor will be held in custody until authorities decide its fate
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam Bankman-Fried invested $10 million in news startup Semafor, according to the New York Times. But the scale of Bankman-Fried's investment was unknown until Wednesday's New York Times report. His $10 million investment was part of an initial funding round that raised a total of $25 million. Smith also has maintained that SBF's investment didn't give him any tangible shares in Semafor thanks to its dual-class ownership. If Bankman-Fried's stake had been converted to equity, then he would have been entitled to a single-digit minority stake, according to the Financial Times.

Senior FBI officials recently warned of “unusual levels of threats” against election workers in seven states, including Colorado, Michigan and Wisconsin. California saw a need to pass legislation last month aimed at protecting election workers. Second, to election officials, election workers, volunteers and voters: We have your back. We personally toured our local election offices and observed existing election administration safeguards, such as mail ballot signature review by bipartisan teams. We pledge to do our part, and we call on our colleagues in law enforcement and election administration to join us.

☆ The hotly anticipated media startup Semafor has launched, creating the 'Semaform' article structure to separate news from opinion
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Steven Perlberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The company has created "Semaform," a way to separate news and opinion in articles. Semafor, the hotly anticipated media startup that grabbed industry attention before it even launched, is finally here. Led by former Bloomberg Media CEO Justin Smith and former New York Times media columnist and BuzzFeed News editor-in-chief Ben Smith, the outlet began publishing Tuesday morning with the lofty ambition of "solving certain significant news consumer frustrations," Justin Smith told Insider. "We have a long runway through 2023 and moving into 2024 on a revenue front and a cost front," Justin Smith said. Overall, the target readership is "very much the news omnivore" and people who are "opinion leaders" in business, finance, and tech, Justin Smith said.

☆ Semafor news platform launches
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Helen Coster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That structure is designed to address issues such as a trust deficit between the public and the press, and some readers' inability to distinguish between facts and analysis, said Semafor Executive Editor Gina Chua in an interview Monday. That funding will take Semafor to the end of 2023 and into 2024, according to chief executive officer Justin Smith. At launch, Semafor said that 75% of its revenue will come from advertising and 25% from event sponsorships. Some news organizations such as Axios have had success luring readers with shorter, unconventional formats. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Helen Coster in New York, Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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