Legal Team for Tyre Nichols Releases Statement on DOJ Guidance for Specialized Police Units

Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci released a statement on the guidance announced today by the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the use of specialized units in law enforcement agencies. One year ago this month, Tyre Nichols lost his life to a brutal beating by a specialized unit in Memphis, dubbed the SCORPION Unit, which has since been disbanded.

The guidance from the DOJ looks at four main stages of specialized units: formation, personnel selection and supervision, management and accountability, and community engagement. 

Attorneys Crump and Romanucci released the following statement:

“We, along with the family of Tyre Nichols, are thankful for the diligent work done by the Department of Justice, and specifically Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, in addressing this matter. We hope this guidance provides police departments with a clear outline of when these specialized units may be appropriate, when they most certainly are not appropriate, and how to properly staff them with officers who will properly execute their explicit duties. 

“We hope police departments and chiefs nationwide will strictly adhere to this guidance. The unjustified death of Tyre Nichols and the circumstances surrounding that tragedy will not soon be forgotten. As we work to make this country a safer place for everyone, it is critical that we remember our history and learn from it.”