DOJ issues new guidelines for specialized police units one year after Tyre Nichols’ death

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Do police departments need specialized units? It’s a question the Department of Justice (DOJ) is asking city leaders to consider in a new report.

This comes a year after Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by Memphis police officers following a traffic stop. Now, police departments across the United States will have to adhere to new guidelines.

“Just remember all of those people who have lost their lives these past years to police violence,” said RowVaughn Wells, the mother of Tyre Nichols, during a candlelight vigil that marked one year since her son’s death. “Gun violence…just violence.”

One year later, the impact of Nichols’ death is not only being felt by his family and friends, but law enforcement agencies across the nation. Now, new guidelines have been issued by the DOJ.

“This guide builds on the action effective and accountable policing and requiring that federal law enforcement agencies ban choke holds, restrict no-knock warrants, and contribute to a newly established database for federal law enforcement police misconduct,” explained White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a briefing this week.

In the 72-page report, federal officials call for mayors and police chiefs to assess whether specialized units are even necessary to solve community problems and make sure they are supervised properly.

In a statement, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said, “After the tragic death of Tyre Nichols and public scrutiny of the SCORPION unit, we made it a priority at the Justice Department to develop a practical resource for law enforcement and community leaders assessing the use of specialized units in police agencies.”

After Nichols’ death, specialized units were put under a microscope. At the time, News 2 asked Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake his opinions on having them, and how Nichols’ death could/would affect Nashville policing.

“You have to have self-control and you have to have, as a group, a duty to intervene if someone does lose self-control. I didn’t see any of that. To me, I don’t see that in our police department. I wanted them to know that we’re Nashville and that we’re going to do it the right way. We’re going to do it with integrity, we’re going to do it for the right reasons, the right time, even when no one’s looking, and that’s how I look at policing here in Nashville,” Drake said at the time.

News 2 reached out to the Metro Nashville Police Department on Friday after the DOJ released its report. The police department said they are reviewing the report.