Memphis Man Details Encounter With MPD’s SCORPION Unit Days Before Tyre Nichols’ Stop

A Memphis man is coming ahead along with his personal expertise with the Memphis Police Division’s SCORPION unit within the wake of Tyre Nichols’ beating loss of life by the hands of officers. 

Cornell McKinney informed WREG that he was stopped by the SCORPION unit, which is an acronym for Avenue Crimes Operation to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhood, simply days earlier than Nichols. 

“I actually read it on the back of their vest,” McKinney informed the outlet. “It said MPD SCORPION Unit.”

He and a buddy have been stopped at a Marathon Gasoline Station, the place he alleges they have been pulled out of the automobile at gunpoint. 

“All I heard is a ‘Freeze, get out the car. Put your MF hands up before I blow your heads off. Both of you get out the car. Put your hands up,’” McKinney mentioned. “So I put my hands up, and one of the officers proceeded to come to the car, and he physically pulled me out by my shoulder with a gun no more than a foot away from my head.”

He described the officers as utilizing unmarked vehicles and refusing to say why the pair have been stopped. He informed the outlet that when he requested to talk to his lawyer, the officers “yelled out ‘This ain’t court. This ain’t the time for lawyers.’”

Moreover, the officers joked in regards to the presence of medication within the automobile earlier than letting Cornell McKinney and his buddy go.

“I used to be like, ‘Man, I just came to get a pizza,’” McKinney told the officer. “He was like, ‘I was just playing. Ain’t no pound within the automobile.’ And he let me stroll off.” 

McKinney says he reached out to the MPD’s inside affair’s twice to lodge a grievance however has but to listen to again. WREG reached out to MPD about McKinney’s site visitors cease however had but to listen to again by the point of publishing.