The Memphis Police Department has come under scrutiny due to their Scorpion unit's egregious use of excessive force, with many arguing that the department's leaders should have taken action to shut the unit down sooner. The discovery of a photograph taken by one of the officers involved in the beating of Tyree Nichols on his personal cell phone, in which he shared with at least five other people, is seen as a violation of police department policy and reflective of a pattern of unprofessional behavior among the Scorpion unit.