Department of Justice will review specialized police units in the wake of Tyre Nichols beating

The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that it will review specialized police units around the country after five officers from Memphis Police Department’s now-disbanded SCORPION unit were charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault in the beating and subsequent death of Tyre Nichols. 

The department will also review the use of force and de-escalation policies that the Memphis Police Department had in place at the time of Nichols’ January 2023 arrest. 

The reviews will be conducted by the DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. 

The review of the Memphis Police Department was requested by Memphis mayor Jim Strickland and police chief Cerelyn J. Davis. The review will examine policies, practices, training, data and processes related to use of force, de-escalation and specialized units, the DOJ said, and the office will issue a public report outlining its findings and recommendations. 

The review of specialized units will be separate from the Memphis review, the DOJ said. As part of that review, the office will produce a guide “for police chiefs and mayors across the country to help them assess the appropriateness of the use” of such units. The document will provide guidance on “how to ensure necessary management and oversight of such units, including review of policies, tactics, training, supervision, accountability, and transparency.” 

“In the wake of Tyre Nichols’s tragic death, the Justice Department has heard from police chiefs across the country who are assessing the use of specialized units and, where used, appropriate management, oversight and accountability for such units. The COPS Office guide on specialized units will be a critical resource for law enforcement, mayors and community members committed to effective community policing that respects the dignity of community members and keeps people safe,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta in the department’s news release. “The department is also pleased to be able to fulfill Memphis’s request for technical assistance on the police department’s use of force and de-escalation policies, as well as the use of specialized units.”