Former SCORPION unit officer takes the stand | Federal trial continues for former Memphis Police officers accused in Tyre Nichols' death

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In day 10 of the federal trial against former Memphis Police Department officers indicted in the death of Tyre Nichols, prosecutors brought up current and former officers to talk about the now disbanded SCORPION unit. 

Three officers of the SCORPION unit, Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith and Demetrius Haley have been on trial for violating the civil rights of Tyre Nichols during a Jan. 7, 2023 traffic stop. Nichols died three days later at St. Francis Hospital. 

Two other officers, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills, accepted plea deals in the case. 

Former SCORPION and current MPD officer James Harvey finished his cross examination. 

Defense attorneys asked Harvey whether he had told a supervisor that he felt like he was putting false information into the incident report for the arrest of Jesus Valles. 

Valles’s arrest has been analyzed by several witnesses during the trial as prosecutors have shown the video of Haley striking Valles while handcuffed. 

Defense attorneys noted that MPD had a policy allowing strikes if officers were worried about being spit on. 

Both the Valles and Marcus Bills arrest videos have shown Haley striking suspects while in handcuffs and both times, Haley’s response to resistance form said the suspect was going to spit. 

Harvey said Thursday he saw blood on Valles during the arrest but couldn’t identify blood from a photo taken from a body worn camera of the night. 

Prosecutors showed a photo of Valles from later in the night and Harvey circled a section which he identified as blood. 

Harvey’s response to resistance forms listed his use of the ASP baton on Bills but did not list that he used a leg strike on him. Defense attorneys focused on that during cross examination. 

The officer also reiterated that he’s never reported misconduct that he’s seen from an officer, worrying about becoming an “outcast.”