Fulton County Sheriff renames SCORPION Unit after death of Tyre Nichols

This photo provided by the Nichols family shows Tyre Nichols, who had a passion for photography and was described by friends as joyful and lovable. Nichols was just minutes from his home in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 7, 2023, when he was pulled over by police and fatally beaten. Five Memphis police officers have since been charged with second-degree murder and other offenses. (Courtesy of the Nichols family via AP)

Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat has announced a new name for the department’s SCORPION Unit after the death of Tyre Nichols.

Nichols died in January, days after being beaten by five members of the Memphis Police Department SCORPION Unit.

In the weeks following Nichols’ death, Labat himself called on all agencies with SCORPION Units to rename them.

SCORPION stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods.

Labat has now announced that Fulton County’s SCORPION Unit will now be known as the F.A.S.T. Unit. The acronym stands for Fugitive Apprehension Support Team.

“Changing the name of our elite unit was an important step we believed needed to be taken,” Labat said. “However, as the name ‘SCORPION’ was not the root problem in the horrific actions in Memphis, the name change for the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is not a finite solution.”

Labat added, “We regularly review our operations, and training protocols, in alignment with our mission to serve the citizens of Fulton County with integrity, honor, and respect.”

The five officers involved in his death were subsequently charged with second-degree murder, kidnapping and more.