From [HERE] The arrest of five Memphis police officers charged with second-degree murder in the death of Tyre Nichols could lead to a cascade of criminal cases being dismissed and convictions appealed, as defense attorneys in the city weigh challenging reports and testimony brought by the now-defunct police unit of which the officers were a part.

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office said on Thursday that it would review any cases and convictions involving the five officers, though the office did not offer specifics because of the continuing investigation. The five officers were also added to an internal list of police officials across the county accused of being dishonest or facing criminal charges, a classification that could lead prosecutors to drop any cases involving their testimony.

But some defense attorneys are also working to compile a roster of the aggressive Scorpion unit that the five officers belonged to, which could imperil hundreds of cases across the city. From its inception in late 2021 to January 2022, when Mayor Jim Strickland hailed the unit’s work in his annual State of the City speech, the unit made 566 arrests.

That unit was disbanded after the death of Mr. Nichols last month, as city and police officials grappled with the behavior of the five officers who violently kicked and beat the 29-year-old FedEx worker and photographer and with the unit’s overall record of aggression, intimidation and brutality. The Scorpion unit had roughly 40 members, who handled an estimated thousands of cases.

The Memphis Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. [MORE]