…the poster that you initially responded to clearly understands this. In context, it was a mild, slightly hyperbolic, aside.
All 5 of those cops were part of their “SCORPION” Unit. SCORPION being an acronym or Street Crimes Operations to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods.
https://www.tmz.com/2023/01/28/memphis-pd-disband-scorpion-unit-involved-tyre-nichols-death/
Giving them a paramilitary/mercenary type of name doesn’t really inspire peacefulness.
There has been some speculation that there might be a connection between at least one of the five cops and the victim–which would make the Full-Bore Rage with which they first confronted him (while he was still in his car) a bit more understandable.
Note also that we have NOT seen FIVE body-cam feeds. Why not?
Part of the ‘culture of policing’ that seems all too widespread is the apparent acceptability of turning off the body-cam.
Another point that stood out to me, relating to body cams: it seemed almost as though the five cops were constructing a faked justification for beating Nichols that could have worked if they could have sold the idea “all our video was corrupted but we do have the audio of the encounter.”
In other words, all the otherwise inexplicable orders they were giving their victim (‘get on the ground’ when he was already on the ground; ‘show me your hands’ when he was already cuffed or just before, when they were holding his arms) were intended to sell the idea that their victim was completely out of control and so they had to baton him in the face and kick his head again and again and again.
‘Constructing a justification’ for violence against a citizen they’ve targeted seems to loom all too large in the time and thoughts of all too many police officers.
I have always been of the opinion that an officer turning of his/her body cam, or otherwise concealing his/her identity (as they did in Toronto during the 2010 G20), means that they are no longer police officers.
If they do this, they become civilians, or gang members. They have no ability to make arrests, or draw a weapon. They may be civilly sued, and other citizens may resist any attempt they make to detain them.
I haven’t watched through the whole video, and certainly not analyzed it in detail, but the bodycam footage was blurry and shaky and it was hard to tell what was going on.
Were it not for the stationary security cameras that caught them, their story may have held up, even with body cam footage.
They’ve shown the body cams of 3 of the officers. What is missing is the dash cam showing Tyre driving supposedly on the wrong side of the road as well as the other responding cruisers. I suspect there are video’s of his car traveling on the road because of the number of private cameras in use. More visual evidence is certainly in the works.
But it even says Restore Peace, right there in the name. What more do you want?!
Yeah, scorpions also aren’t really known for that whole Serve and Protect thing. Scorpions are more about “sting you to try to make you die.” It’s a really bad look for a police department.
I disagree. He’s on the ground while they’re yelling at him to get on the ground and he’s telling them he’s on the ground.
And I have to believe there is more footage we’re not seeing yet but will come out in the future.
Like I said, I didn’t watch all of it, nor deeply analyze what I did, so if you think it’s clear enough on the body cams that a jury would convict on it, then I’ll take your word for it.
What I saw though, was more confusing than informative.
And I’ve seen body cam footage from other incidents that seemed fairly clear to me, but not necessarily to everyone.
My point is that the stationary camera is the most informative and damning, and it was also the one they had no control over.
I hope more footage is indeed found and released.
And if it is shown he was on the wrong side of the road and driving poorly, then that justifies the stop, but certainly not the beating.
However, if it is shown that he was driving normally, then that makes this a premeditated attack. Not just an “error” as some may cavalierly call it, but a planned execution.
Let me clarify that I’m not saying it’s enough to convict, it just looks bad from the get-go. I would really like to know what transpired between “driving on the wrong side of the road” to drawing guns on a basic traffic stop. Did he flee when they tried to pull him over? There almost has to be something more to the start of this.
It could very well be but I’m flummoxed at how this started. We’re missing a key event before the beating. The beating itself is self evident and enough (IMO) to easily convict everyone involved.
Was Nichols known to any of the officers? I really hope the “something more” is NOT “Hey there’s Tyre. I hated that guy in high school. Let’s pull him over and lay a beating on him.”
Those five animals placed their own lives in serious jeopardy.
They set themselves up for the death penalty by their killing of the young man. Their second degree murder charges could earn them the death penalty.
I followed @Joey_P ’s cite explaining SCORPION, and there read the Memphis police department itself seemed to say the police officers’ action may rise to be worthy of the death penalty. The cite said, "They add, “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 for all impacted.”
Note they used of the word “heinous.”
Findlaw explains, “. . . the death penalty or life in prison without parole can only be imposed where an aggravating factor (showing maliciousness or a lack of remorse sufficient to justify increased penalties) has been proven by the state beyond a reasonable doubt. Those aggravating factors are:
The murder was committed:
- Heinously, cruelly, or involving torture or mutilating the dead body . . .
- During a violent felony or act of terrorism"
[Here’s the link to Findlaw.](Tennessee First-Degree Murder law considers two main,the lack of lawful justification)
But even then, don’t officers normally cruise in pairs? Where did the other three come from?
He just doesn’t get it. If you name your police gang “SCORPION” this is exactly the type of action the people would expect to see.
“Hey guys, come and help me with a beat-down of a guy I hate.”
You’d hate to think that would happen, but the reputation of the police is in the toilet.
A simple name change will help fix up the reputation of the Memphis Police.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’d like to introduce our new police group with an entirely new name and attitude. Please help me welcome… The Death Squadron Baby Crushers!”