TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Paul Burch on Apr 19, 2023

The family of Tyre Nichols filed suit today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee against the city of Memphis, Police Chief Cerelyn "C.J." Davis and officers and Memphis Fire Department employees who were present at Nichols’ death in January. Nichols, age 27, died three days after officers with the department's Scorpion Unit pulled him over and beat him. The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the city of Memphis for ignoring Davis’ prior employment with the Atlanta Police Department, where he supervised the Red Dog drug unit task force, which was disbanded after accusations of excessive force. “Much like the Red Dog unit, Scorpion unit officers were encouraged by the chief of police and supervisors to engage in searches and seizures when there was no basis to do so in violation of the Fourth Amendment," the lawsuit states. It continues: "Ultimately, Scorpion developed into a gang unit carrying out an oppression style of policing ratified by the chief and assistant chief of police with inexperienced, untrained, and unsupervised police officers." Read more about the suit in Knoxville News Sentinel.