Episode
The Police Unit That Was Supposed to Keep Memphis Safe
32:02
Published: Wed Feb 08 2023
Description
This episode contains descriptions of violence. The death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, at the hands of officers in Memphis last month has intensified calls for fundamental reform in policing. Those calls were echoed yesterday by President Biden, who hosted Mr. Nichols’s parents at the State of the Union address.Today, we hear about a Times investigation into the special team of officers, known as the Scorpion unit, that is accused of killing Mr. Nichols.Guest: Mike Baker, the Seattle bureau chief and a national correspondent for The New York Times.Background reading: For 14 months, officers from the high-profile Scorpion unit patrolled Memphis with an air of menace.City leaders had praised the Scorpion unit as a key strategy for fighting crime. Now they are trying to assess whether it was flawed from the start.The unit has been disbanded, but Memphis wasn’t the only city to turn to specialized police teams.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Chapters
The New York Times investigates the specialized crime fighting unit accused of police brutality and the challenges of preventing it in hotspot neighborhoods.
00:00 - 04:06 (04:06)
Summary
The New York Times investigates the specialized crime fighting unit accused of police brutality and the challenges of preventing it in hotspot neighborhoods.
EpisodeThe Police Unit That Was Supposed to Keep Memphis Safe
PodcastThe Daily
Memphis, Tennessee has hired a new police chief, CJ Davis, to address the city's high rates of violent crime.
04:06 - 11:37 (07:30)
Summary
Memphis, Tennessee has hired a new police chief, CJ Davis, to address the city's high rates of violent crime. Davis has a reputation as both a tough-on-crime person and a police reformer, but her previous department's aggressive tactics have left some people in fear.
EpisodeThe Police Unit That Was Supposed to Keep Memphis Safe
PodcastThe Daily
A minor traffic offense can quickly escalate into a life-threatening situation for Black Americans, as documented by the African American Policy Forum.
11:37 - 16:41 (05:03)
Summary
A minor traffic offense can quickly escalate into a life-threatening situation for Black Americans, as documented by the African American Policy Forum. The policing system often engages in racial profiling and disproportionately targets people of color.
EpisodeThe Police Unit That Was Supposed to Keep Memphis Safe
PodcastThe Daily
During a routine traffic stop, police officers subjected motorist, Wilborn, to a violent attack, causing bystanders to intervene.
16:41 - 23:56 (07:14)
Summary
During a routine traffic stop, police officers subjected motorist, Wilborn, to a violent attack, causing bystanders to intervene. Wilborn's car was searched following the attack, revealing drugs and a gun.
EpisodeThe Police Unit That Was Supposed to Keep Memphis Safe
PodcastThe Daily
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.
23:56 - 31:56 (08:00)
Summary
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.