MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy announced last week his office was reviewing past cases involving MPD’s Scorpion Unit. If investigators find any violations in policies, that could result in some cases being dismissed.
We sat down with Spence Partners Law Firm who represents Monterrious Harris, the man who filed a lawsuit against the City of Memphis after he was beaten by the same five officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death days prior.
“I want to see them do better. I want to see us do better,” said Jarrett Spence, Spence Partners Law.
Spence is not just any Memphis lawyer. He is also a native Memphian growing up less than a mile from where Tyre Nichols was beaten.
“At this very moment seeing what the Scorpion Unit was doing with impunity, it does not make me proud to be a Memphian, particularly a Black Memphian,” said Spence.
He represents Monterrious Harris who filed a lawsuit against the city. Harris claims the same five officers charged in Nichols’ death also beat him just three days before. That’s not all. Others have also come forward. “We receive probably three to five phone calls a day alleging that they have been violated by the hands of the Scorpion Unit,” said Spence.
He said his firm, at times, have had to refer people to other law firms. “We almost don’t have enough time to look into all the cases,” said Spence. “Some of the people that we’ve spoken with have said that they’ve submitted numerous complaints to the MPD, but they’ve been met with deaf ears. Nothing had been done.”
Some of those cases involve other teams within the Scorpion Unit. Others involved the same former MPD officers in Nichols’ and Harris’ cases. “The five officers have operated in Hickory Hill. They were certainly or at least from what I’ve seen the worst of the Scorpion Unit. We’ve also heard from individuals who live in Orange Mound, who live in the Whitehaven area. Really predominately Black neighborhoods, I think the Scorpion Unit was unleashed,” said Spence.
In the cases he’s reviewed so far, Spence noticed a pattern in these encounters. “They pull people over for no reason. They’re all relatively young Black men. Although these Black men have violated no crimes and not resisted any lawful command, they’re all brutalized and beaten by the Scorpion Unit. It’s really shameful,” said Spence.
While Spence is pleased Shelby County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing past cases, he says it is what they should have done all along. “They were victimizing the citizens of Memphis. If complaints were filed previously and those complaints were ignored, then the City of Memphis has the blood of Tyre Nichols on its hands and it has the blood of every other individual who was victimized by the Scorpion Unit on its hands. I hope that City of Memphis does right by those individuals,” said Spence.
His client, Monterrious Harris, is expected to appear in court Friday for arraignment.