Reaction to DOJ investigation of Nichols case

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Department of Justice has launched a review into specialized police units.

This comes in the wake of their investigation in the death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis in January.

Five police officers in the Memphis Police Department’s Scorpion Unit are charged in his death.

Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy offered her reaction to the DOJ looking into these units today during CPD’s weekly media briefing saying that, if asked, they would cooperate with their review, but added CPD does not have any unit like the Scorpion Unit.

Chief Murphy said, “We use task force officers sometimes in conjunction with our county partners, sometimes with our federal partners, but we specifically don’t have those types of units that we are seeing in larger cities in this police department.”

In addition, CPD added that crime overall in the city has declined in February.

They called on parents to closely monitor the actions of their children as the weather warms up to make sure they stay out of trouble.