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☆ The white officer fired for his role in Tyre Nichols' arrest was once praised for his ability to 'extinguish a volatile situation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | Narimes Parakul | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tyre Nichols died three days after being pulled over and beaten by Memphis police officers. Preston Hemphill was the sixth officer fired over his role in Nichols' arrest. Hemphill, who joined the Memphis Police Department in March 2018, was fired on February 3 for his role at the scene of Tyre Nichols' beating. "As per departmental regulations Officer Hemphill activated his bodycam," Gerald said. Hemphill was the sixth and only white officer to be fired by the city of Memphis over the SCORPION unit's beating of Tyre Nichols.

☆ Memphis officers charged in Nichols death face review of older cases
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"This involves any criminal case that [the officers] were involved in. It is any case where there were criminal charges that were brought by the DA anytime since they became officers." The beating occurred despite the use-of-force policies that Memphis and other U.S. cities pledged to strengthen after the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The five officers were members of SCORPION, a now-disbanded specialized police unit that was formed in October 2021 to concentrate on crime hot spots. Several of the officers who have been fired had received written reprimands or short suspensions for violating department policies, according to their personnel files.

☆ Memphis police officers who beat Tyre Nichols attacked Black veteran 3 days earlier, lawsuit alleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Memphis man alleges in a federal lawsuit that the cops who beat Tyre Nichols attacked him, too. Three days before Nichols' beating, he was also beaten by the SCORPION unit officers, the suit says. "Unknown to Mr. Harris at the time – the black masked assailants were members of the Scorpion Unit." "Mr. Harris had great difficulty walking because his left leg was gashed from the assault," the suit alleges. "But for witnesses coming outside to observe after hearing Mr. Harris' loud screams, Mr. Harris would likely have suffered the same fate as Mr.

☆ Demetrius Haley didn't tell Tyre Nichols why he'd been pulled over. The Memphis cop was talking on the phone during the stop, documents show.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former Memphis officer Demetrius Haley never told Tyre Nichols why he was pulled over. Department records say Haley approached Nichols while talking on the phone in a black hoodie. He yelled profanities, despite no evidence that Nichols ever swore at or threatened officers. "You never told the driver the purpose of the vehicle stop or that he was under arrest." A day after Nichols' beating, the department released a statement describing a "confrontation" with an alleged reckless driver, later identified as Tyre Nichols.

☆ Memphis Police Department fires 6th officer involved in Tyre Nichols beating death
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Memphis Police Department fired a sixth officer involved in Tyre Nichols' death. Five Memphis officers have already been fired and charged with second-degree murder in Nichols' death. Hemphill was the third officer at a traffic stop that preceded the violent arrest but was not where Nichols was beaten. Also Friday, a Tennessee board suspended the emergency medical technician licenses of two former Memphis Fire Department employees for failing to render critical care. The department has said she remained in the engine with the driver during the response to Nichols' beating Jan. 7.

☆ 2 EMTs had their licenses suspended for failing to give critical care to Tyre Nichols after he was beaten by police
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Michelle Mark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Tennessee medical board suspended two EMTs for failing to provide life-saving medical care to Tyre Nichols. The Memphis Fire Department had already fired the EMTs, as well as a lieutenant, earlier this week. Tyre Nichols died in the hospital three days after being beaten by five Memphis police officers now charged with murder. The Tennessean reported that the medical board watched a 19-minute video showing the EMTs pacing and standing around while Nichols collapsed and writhed on the ground. Attorneys for Nichols' family have said an independent autopsy indicated that Nichols died from "extensive bleeding" after the beating.

☆ Two years before beating Tyre Nichols, a Memphis police officer didn't report that a colleague ripped a woman out of her car and dislocated her shoulder just for laughing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | Narimes Parakul | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former Memphis officer Demetrius Haley came under fire two years before beating Tyre Nichols. In Feb. 2021, Haley was on the scene when another officer ripped a woman from her car. Despite seeing the officer dislocating the woman's shoulder, he didn't write a use of force report. In addition to the use of force incident, Haley's disciplinary records include a traffic violation in which he struck a stop sign with his cruiser. "She stated the department needs several more officers like Haley," the January 2021 hearing report says.

REUTERS/Alyssa PointerFeb 1 (Reuters) - As soon as next week, the Memphis City Council will consider a raft of reforms aimed at curtailing police violence after the brutal beating of Tyre Nichols by five officers following a traffic stop. But after Nichols' beating and subsequent death made Memphis the latest emblem of police brutality against Black Americans, city leaders are facing more pressure than ever to shore up police accountability and hiring standards. "We cannot allow this moment to pass us by when activism coupled with concern from the community is at its peak," Memphis City Councilman J.B. Smiley Jr. said. Memphis activist LJ Abraham said she hopes Nichols’ case will persuade the council to take demands for bolder reforms more seriously. In recent years, city leaders have sought to boost the department's officer ranks, which dwindled as violent crime spiked.

☆ Memphis police department suspends officer in Tyre Nichols case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Alyssa Pointer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] People protest against the fatal beating of Black motorist Tyre Nichols by Memphis Police officers, during a rally in Oakland, California, U.S. January 29, 2023. The suspended officer - identified as Preston Hemphill - was relieved of duty with pay pending an administrative hearing, a Memphis Police Department spokesperson said, noting that an investigation into the incident was underway. The NAACP Memphis Branch on Sunday called for all officers and first responders involved in the violent incident to be held accountable. Some of the officers involved in the beating were a part of Scorpion, the specialized police unit that the department disbanded on Saturday. Since the incident, protesters in Memphis have demanded that the department identify all officers on the scene of the beating and release their personnel files, the Commercial Appeal reported.

☆ A 6th Memphis police officer was taken off the force over Tyre Nichols' death. But he'll still be paid while his role is investigated.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Ashley Collman | Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Officer Preston Hemphill has been placed on paid leave in connection to the fatal arrest of Tyre Nichols. He is the sixth Memphis police officer to be taken off the force following Nichols' death. Officer Preston Hemphill is now on paid administrative leave "pending the outcome of the investigation," a spokesman for the Memphis Police Department told Insider. Lee Gerald, an attorney representing Hemphill, told Insider that his client "was the third officer at the inital stop of Mr. On Friday, officials released video of Nichols' arrest, which shows him being tased, pepper sprayed, and punched multiple times.

☆ Demonstrations, calls for police reforms flood Memphis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Hundreds of peaceful demonstrators, fueled by newly released body camera footage showing the brutal beating of Tyre Nichols by police officers, demanded justice, accountability and police reform Saturday afternoon. “We’re used to having issues with police in this city.”Body camera footage of Nichols being savagely beaten by Memphis officers on Jan. 7 was released Friday night, igniting protests across the U.S. For Memphis demonstrator Joshua Lewis, 18, he said he wasn’t surprised by the actions of the officers who were caught on camera beating Nichols. “It angered me to see the video of Tyre but this is normal (in Memphis) and I feel that it’s time for a change. “The corruption of the Memphis police and the death of Tyre Nichols, we’re just tired altogether.

☆ After Tyre Nichols Video Release, Memphis Disbands Scorpion Street-Crime Unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Memphis Police Department on Saturday said it was shutting down the specialized Scorpion street-crime unit whose members included former officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols . The move to disband the unit came a day after the city of Memphis, Tenn., released video footage of the Jan. 7 traffic stop that led to the death of Mr. Nichols. Authorities had warned the video would be brutal.

Towns said the lawmakers could have until early spring, otherwise, to develop and fine tune any proposals that emerge from Nichols' death. Share this -Link copiedMemphis police’s vaunted Scorpion unit is deactivated after Tyre Nichols' death Memphis police’s vaunted Scorpion unit has been permanently deactivated. Share this -Link copiedNFL calls for change after 'senseless death' of Tyre Nichols A day after the release of video showing the police beating of Tyre Nichols, the NFL on Saturday condemned the violence. Demonstrations continued Saturday in Atlanta, Boston and Charlotte following the release of video footage showing five former Memphis police officers beating Tyre Nichols, who died on Jan. 10. Attorney Blake Ballin’s comments follow the release of video footage showing the officers punching and kicking Tyre Nichols during a Jan. 7 traffic stop.

☆ Memphis disbands police unit after fatal beating as protesters take to streets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The specialized police unit that included the five Memphis officers charged with the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols was disbanded on Saturday as more protests took place in U.S. cities a day after harrowing video of the attack was released. The police department said in a statement it was permanently deactivating the SCORPION unit after the police chief spoke with members of Nichols' family, community leaders and other officers. Five officers involved in the beating, all Black, were charged on Thursday with murder, assault, kidnapping and other charges. Nichols' family and officials expressed outrage and sorrow but urged protesters to remain peaceful. In Memphis, protesters chanting, "Whose streets?

☆ Tyre Nichols: After his fatal beating ignited rage, Memphis streets remained calm despite warnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Some residents told Insider they hunkered down all of Saturday expecting the worst. "It could have been me," he told Insider, asking only to be identified by his first name in fear of his job. Demonstrators protest in Memphis on Jan. 28, 2023 following the release of video showing the deadly encounter between Tyre Nichols and police. Demonstrators protest in Memphis on Jan. 28, 2023 following the release of video showing the deadly encounter between Tyre Nichols and police. Demonstrators protest in Memphis on Jan. 28, 2023 following the release of video showing the deadly encounter between Tyre Nichols and police.

Crump said he and the Nichols family had spoken with President Joe Biden on Friday and urged him to use Nichols' death to galvanize support for the act's passage. Nichols' mother was coping with her son's death by believing he was destined to change the world, Crump said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. Nichols' death is the latest high-profile example of police using excessive force against Black people and other minorities. Crump said Nichols' death should finally prompt lawmakers to act. The officers were charged on Thursday with second-degree murder, assault, kidnapping, official misconduct and oppression in Nichols' death and dismissed from the department.

☆ Memphis police's Scorpion unit is permanently deactivated after Tyre Nichols' death
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The Memphis Police Department said it has permanently deactivated its Scorpion Unit following the death of Tyre Nichols. "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 assignment, it is in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate the SCORPION Unit,” the department said in a statement Saturday. “The officers currently assigned to the unit agree unreservedly with this next step. All five of the officers were members of Scorpion, which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods. They were fired by the police department and charged with Nichols' murder.

Body camera video shows punches on ground, Nichols saying 'mom' Portions of body camera video released in the death of Tyre Nichols shows him being punched several times while he is on the ground. The call was made in advance of the expected public release of video in the death of Tyre Nichols, who died after a violent encounter with Memphis police officers on Jan. 7. Share this -Link copiedMemphis fire officials receive video showing Tyre Nichols' beating, will conclude investigation next week The Memphis Fire Department said it received full access to video footage showing the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols earlier Friday. The five Memphis officers involved in the traffic stop were fired and have since been arrested on numerous charges including murder. "I will ask everyone to heed the words of Tyre Nichols' mother," Hochul said.

☆ 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.

Video recordings from police body-worn cameras and a camera mounted on a utility pole showed Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, repeatedly calling "Mom!" as officers kicked, punched and struck him with a baton in his mother's neighborhood after a Jan. 7 traffic stop. The release of the clips on Friday sparked protests in Memphis and elsewhere and prompted numerous cities to prepare for additional demonstrations on Saturday. Nichols' family and officials, including President Joe Biden, have expressed outrage and sorrow but have urged protesters to remain peaceful. The initial traffic stop was for reckless driving, though the police chief has said the cause for the stop has not been substantiated.

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.

"I will ask everyone to heed the words of Tyre Nichols' mother," Hochul said. Share this -Link copiedLawyers applaud kidnapping charges and say Nichols was 'terrorized' Attorney Antonio Romanucci said terrorism was part of the kidnapping charges against the five Memphis police officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death. Attorney Ben Crump said Nichols’ told the officers, “I just want to home home.” “It's a traffic stop for God’s sake. Attorney Ben Crump said Nichols’ last words in the body camera footage of his arrest were three cries for his mother. This week, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis announced a review of all the police department’s specialized units, including Scorpion, in response to Nichols’ death.

“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.

☆ Explainer: Tyre Nichols case: What is Memphis' controversial SCORPION police unit?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Under pressure over rising violent crime, Memphis in October 2021 created SCORPION, which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods. More broadly, the case has drawn attention to Memphis' specialized units and elite police teams in general. What is the SCORPION unit? Crump also highlighted that another Black male in Memphis said he was the victim of "excessive force" by SCORPION officers just a few days before Nichols' death. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis this week announced a review of all of the police department's specialized units including SCORPION in response to Nichols' death.

☆ 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.

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