Nichols died three days after the brutal beating in January.
The family of , who died after a by five Memphis police officers, sued the officers and the city of Memphis on Wednesday, blaming them for his death and accusing officials of allowing a special unit’s aggressive tactics to go unchecked despite warning signs.
The lawsuit accuses Memphis Police Director Cerelyn «CJ» Davis of starting a to target repeat violent offenders in high-crime areas. The lawsuit claims the Scorpion unit used «extreme intimidation, humiliation, and violence» and «disproportionately focused on and targeted young Black men,» adding that this is why Nichols was targeted. It says that the department permitted this aggressive approach to develop and ignored complaints by other residents targeted by the unit before Nichols’ death.
The suit, filed by lawyers for Tyre Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, seeks a jury trial and financial damages. The with beating Nichols were members of the unit, police have said. The unit was .
The city of Memphis declined comment on the lawsuit.
died three days after the brutal beating in January. It was the latest in a string of violent encounters between police and Black people that have spurred protests and renewed public discussion about police brutality.
In most cases, the officers have been white, but all five officers accused in Nichols’ death are Black. The officers have been charged with second-degree murder.
The lawsuit names as defendants the city of Memphis, Police Director Davis, the five officers who have been fired and charged, another officer who has been , and an additional officer who . It also names three who were fired after officials said they failed to render aid to Nichols as he was on the ground, struggling with his injuries.
Officers stopped Nichols while he was driving his car for reasons that have «never been substantiated,» the lawsuit said.
