#Mulroy

[cupcakeshakesnake]

“Pearl of the King’s Navy, you are”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Sam Stockard at Tennessee Lookout:

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court’s ruling and upheld Tennessee’s 2023 ban on adult cabaret entertainment in front of children. The court found that Memphis theater group Friends of George’s, which puts on drag shows, failed to show standing in its challenge of the state law and instructed the U.S. District to dismiss the case. The theater group filed suit against the state claiming the ban on cabaret performances and drag shows violated its First Amendment rights. The district court sided with Friends of George’s and declared the law unconstitutional, permanently enjoining Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy from enforcing the law in his jurisdiction. Mulroy appealed the ruling, questioning the cabaret club’s standing and the merits of an injunction overriding the ban. The appeals court determined the group failed to meet its burden that the ban would put it in danger of prosecution and sent the case back to the lower court with orders to dismiss it.

The case stemmed from the Legislature’s passage of the Adult Entertainment Act in 2023 that made it illegal to put on adult cabaret shows on public property or in places where the entertainment could be seen by a minor. “Adult cabaret entertainment” is defined as “adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors” and feature topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators and similar entertainers. The law’s passage stemmed, in part, from complaints about an annual PRIDE parade in Jackson that could be seen by children. The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office pointed out afterward the Sixth Circuit found that the district court was mistaken, in saying “there is no constitutional interest in exhibiting indecent material to minors.”

In a 3-judge hearing at the right-wing 6th Circuit Court, the 6th overturned a lower court ruling that barred Tennessee from enforcing drag ban law SB3 in Friends of George’s v. Mulroy by tossing out the case because Friends of George’s didn’t have any standing to sue.

[sharedinsanitea]

"I learned early how to use my anger, but you

showed me how to wear it: armor in a torn up

army jacket, slung guitar in subway station,

fresh kicks just ripped from the hearth,

and dancing hard enough that nobody could see

how much it burned."

- Sean Patrick Mulroy

[xtruss]

List Of Fruits With The Most Health Benefits: These 8 Are Expert Recommended

— Clare Mulroy | USA Today | Sunday March 24, 2024

Only about 12% of surveyed Americans meet their daily fruit intake, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in 2019. That number is even lower among low-income adults.

Eating fruits and vegetables is an important part of a healthy diet, but for many who live in areas of food insecurity access may be a challenge. The U.S. Department of Agriculture found 44.2 million Americans lived in food-insecure households in 2022. Meanwhile, an estimated 30-40% of the food supply in the U.S. goes to waste.

Any fruit is a healthy choice, though these eight are must-haves. AlexRaths/IStock Via Getty Images

Healthiest Fruits to Include in Your Diet

If you live in an area with access to fresh produce, any choice of fruit is a healthy one, says registered dietitian Danielle Crumble Smith. However, each fruit has a unique nutritional profile and benefits. Here are some of the must-haves for your diet:

Wild blueberries: These berries pack in the fiber to keep you fuller for longer. They also rank among the fruits and vegetables with the highest antioxidant content. Antioxidants prevent or delay cell damage. Studies show wild blueberries have cognitive and cardiovascular benefits as well as cancer-fighting compounds, Crumble Smith says.

Wild blueberries: These berries pack in the fiber to keep you fuller for longer. They also rank among the fruits and vegetables with the highest antioxidant content. Antioxidants prevent or delay cell damage. Studies show wild blueberries have cognitive and cardiovascular benefits as well as cancer-fighting compounds, Crumble Smith says.

Apples: Apples are rich in antioxidants, especially darker-colored varieties like Red Delicious. They have vitamin C and fiber, found mostly in the skin, and pectin, a fiber that acts as a prebiotic to aid colon function and digestion. Apples also contain quercetin, a flavonoid with antioxidant properties that studies show may reduce cardiovascular disease risk and protect against allergies because it acts as a natural antihistamine.

Oranges: These bright citrus fruits contain about 92% of your daily vitamin C requirement. They're a good source of folate, a B vitamin that’s important during pregnancy but can also play a role in preventing cardiovascular disease, infertility, stroke, dementia, colon cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Grapefruit: Grapefruits are a good source of vitamin C, which the body uses to form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle and collagen in the bones. Vitamin C also acts as an antioxidant and helps the body absorb and store iron. Grapefruits also contain vitamin A, which helps support eye health and cell growth.

Strawberries: Strawberries are high in vitamin C, which helps support the immune system. They contain manganese, folate and potassium.

Pineapple: Pineapple packs in vitamins C, A, K, phosphorus, zinc and calcium. It's rich in manganese and contains bromelain, an extract found in the fruit and stem of pineapples that has anti-inflammatory properties.

Papaya: Papayas contain vitamins C, A, E, folate, fiber and a high level of antioxidants, including lycopene.

Plums: These fruits contain antioxidants like anthocyanins and quercetin, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. They’re also high in fiber, which can help regulate bowel movements. Plums are lower in sugar and have a low glycemic index, making them ideal for anyone with diabetes, insulin resistance or blood sugar dysregulation, Crumble Smith says.

Kiwi: Kiwis contain high amounts of vitamins C, E and fiber. You'll also get an enzyme called actinidin, which helps digestion, and lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that benefit eye health.

Is Fruit Good For You?

Aside from making a tasty snack, fruit is beneficial because it contains vitamins, minerals, fiber, water and other essential nutrients, Crumble Smith previously told USA Today.

Fruit can help combat the afternoon slump better than reaching for another cup of coffee. And Bbecause natural sugar is a healthy source of energy, pairing fruit with protein will give you a similar boost.

Crumble Smith does recommend caution for people with diabetes, insulin resistance or blood sugar issues. In that case, be mindful of portion size or try to pair your afternoon raspberries with a protein, like yogurt or cheese.

Fruit smoothies are an easy and accessible way to get your daily fruit content. Crumble Smith recommends making them at home rather than grabbing one from a smoothie bar or a pre-packaged drink from the store. If you’re going for bottled juice, read the nutritional label thoroughly to check for added sugar content.

"All the concentrated fruit tends to be really high in sugar and don’t have any protein to help stabilize blood sugar levels," she told USA Today in 2023.

How much fruit should you eat per day?

The daily recommended fruit serving depends on several factors, including age, height, sex, weight and physical activity. Generally, the USDA says adults should consume around 2 cups of fruit per day.

Here Are Some Examples of What Counts As A “Cup” of Fruit:

1 Small Apple 🍏 🍎

1 Large Banana 🍌

10 Dates

22 Seedless Grapes 🍇

2-3 Kiwis 🥝

1 Large Peach 🍑

3 Medium Plums

1 Slice of Watermelon 🍉

[inhernature]

Survivors

Last night I wanted to tell you about how the world will always hate you for something. The tree in our backyard rots. First the branches blackened and then it went bald from crown to root. That’s the way things work in the world sometimes. The ugliness isn’t as obvious until someone’s naked. Our parents loved us only one way. I can’t promise we’ll do more than a lick’s worth better. We’ll try. We’ll try to hide things from you, like how your grandmother could, with a wrist flick, leave a bruise the size of an apple, how your mother learned that pain can muster submission. Your father will swallow his tiny violences, trying to love you while also loving himself. We hide out of love too. When you’re scared, we’ll remind you how you both nestled against one another in the womb. Let us sell you on this world; let us tell you all can be rebuilt.

BY TARA MAE MULROY

(Source)

[brother-emperors]

Catullus, 65, 68A, 100 (trans. David Mulroy)

Sophocles' Antigone (trans. Ruth Fainlight & Robert J. Littman)

Introduction to Lucullus / Plutarch's Lucullus (trans. Scott-Kilvert)

BROTHERS & GRIEF

I’m feeling some kind of way about Lucullus and his brother Marcus today. griefs that transcend, endure, demand, consume.

[april-is]

April 3, 2024: Positivity, D.A. Powell

Positivity D.A. Powell

“Anyway, it isn’t forever,” Chris said, “eventually you’re dead.” And we laughed

Besides, everything is better now. Not us but implants, blenders, children, heart attacks. There’s never been a better time to be alive than when you are. If you are. Black-throated blue warbler says chewchewchewchewchewww drawing the last chew out like a sucking drainpipe to say he has mated and is satisfied. Say what you will about that. His joy is uncontainable

and yet it has a form, a measure, to make it clear he’s not upset or feeling anxious. And if he’s bragging, well, it’s no shame to brag that you’re happy.

Honeybees cavorting on the goldenrod are working toward a common goal they’ll never see achieved. They lay down the walls of their cathedral of honeycomb and will not cope the spire, busy in the present task, trusting that the work continues. I’d like to write a children’s book called everybody dies. Upbeat, of course, and pragmatic. You only got so many days. Don’t think about death; when you’re ready, death will think about you. Go out tonight with your friends, like Chris, who went out big or not at all. Have a ball. Plan ahead.

--

Hear the poet read this aloud.

also by D.A. Powell (shared in year 1 of this project!): [this is what you love: more people. you remember]

More like this:

Overjoyed, Ada Limón

you can’t be a star in the sky without holy fire, Frank X. Gaspar

Today in:

2023: Picture This, Jiordan Castle 2022: Alba, Madeleine Cravens 2021: July, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz 2020: Poem Beginning With A Retweet, Maggie Smith 2019: Waiting for Happiness, Nomi Stone 2018: United, Naomi Shihab Nye 2017: If You Are Over Staying Woke, Morgan Parker 2016: High School Senior, Sharon Olds 2015: Dog in Bed, Joyce Sidman 2014: Persephone Writes to Her Mother, Tara Mae Mulroy 2013: Hook, James Wright 2012: How to Build an Owl, Kathleen Lynch 2011: Expecting, Kevin Young 2010: The Choir, Luke Kennard 2009: I Come Home Wanting To Touch Everyone, Stephen Dunn 2008: Visible World, Richard Siken 2007: Anywhere Else, Maggie Dietz 2006: After Work, Richard Jones 2005: The Sheep-Child, James Dickey

[mariacallous]

Despite an ongoing eleventh-hour attempt to secure a cease-fire in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Monday that Israel’s war cabinet had unanimously decided to proceed with its military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which Israeli officials say is Hamas’s last major holdout. 

Even as top United Nations officials have warned that a Rafah invasion could push the 1.5 million Palestinians who have encamped there over the border into Egypt—essentially making resolving the conflict impossible—Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops on Sunday that an invasion is imminent. 

And early Monday, the Israeli military began preparing the battlefield with airstrikes on Rafah, signaling a possible imminent ground operation; it also ordered 100,000 Palestinians—just a fraction of those sheltering in Rafah—to evacuate to an Israeli-established humanitarian zone along the Mediterranean coast. 

If Israeli troops do advance into Rafah in an attempt to eradicate the four Hamas battalions believed to be there, experts say they will face a battle-hardened enemy that has the ability to fight and resupply through a vast network of tunnels, all while Israeli troops try to get tens of thousands—if not millions—of civilians out of the way. 

In other cities where the IDF has fought since this war began, such as Khan Younis, troops were able to move neighborhood by neighborhood, sector by sector, clearing out people as they needed to. But larger masses of people will likely be forced out this time as the IDF moves in. “Rafah is going to fundamentally look a bit different,” said Jonathan Lord, a senior fellow and the director of the Middle East security program at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank. It “isn’t quite as clean, necessarily.” 

The Hamas battalions fighting in Rafah are “fairly indigenous” to the area, Lord said. They rely on the Philadelphi Corridor, a dense network of tunnels. The Israelis have tried to put in a subterranean wall to block Hamas’s use of the corridor but haven’t been successful.  

“Hamas is most likely dug in and prepared to fight from emplaced positions where they have access to tunnels and resupply and the ability to exfiltrate and escape and move around,” Lord said. “That becomes a little bit harder in some of the improvised humanitarian areas.” 

Michael Mulroy, a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense now working with Fogbow, a group helping to set up the aid pier in Gaza, said the Israelis have told NGOs that the evacuation will take about 10 days, though aid groups believe it could take substantially longer. Mulroy said the operation could shut down border crossings into Gaza for up to three to four weeks. Rafah, which borders Egypt, is home to the only border crossing into Gaza that Israel does not directly control.

And it’s not clear that the Israelis have set up enough temporary housing, hospitals, and security to make the evacuation workable. The Israeli government has begun setting up 40,000 tents in Mawasi, a beachside area where there are less likely to be Hamas tunnels, but humanitarian groups say that number is far short of what is needed. 

“The immediate conclusion is going to be, what are you going to do with all of these people?” said Bilal Y. Saab, an associate fellow with Chatham House in London and a former U.S. defense official.

Hamas might also want civilians in the way, analysts said, and could even potentially impede their exit. Some former military officials are even worried that the militant group could take human shields.

“You need to reduce the number of civilians in there,” said Kenneth McKenzie, a retired Marine general and the head of U.S. Central Command until 2022. “The fact of the matter is, Hamas will try to make that not happen. Hamas has no interest in evacuating civilians, regardless of what they say.” 

Mulroy said the Israelis will need at least two divisions, a paratrooper and an armored element, alongside smaller detachments of artillery and special operations forces. But there are still high-level tactical arguments taking place between the Netanyahu and Biden administrations about how the campaign would be conducted. 

“It’s going to be a multidimensional fight,” McKenzie said. “They’re going to have to fight underground, they’re going to have to fight on the surface of the Earth, they’re going to have to fight in the low-Earth atmosphere, because Hamas will probably fly lots of drones. Israel will certainly fly drones. It’s going to be another tough, bloody, ugly fight, which Israel will have lessons learned from their fights [in northern Gaza]. Hamas will have lessons learned from the fights up north. Both sides will apply them.”

In a phone call with Netanyahu on Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated his opposition to a Rafah ground operation, and White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Israel had not yet provided the United States with a comprehensive plan for its operations in Rafah. 

“The U.S. would like to see [Rafah] as more of a surgical, intel-driven probe with reconnaissance [to] find the mass of Hamas fighting militants and then streamline your combat power directly to it,” Mulroy said. “The Israelis—at least from what I know—are [planning for] more like a Fallujah-type, mass movement, block-to-block fight,” he added, referencing the pitched urban battles that U.S. troops fought in Iraq following the 2003 invasion. 

Whether Netanyahu and his war cabinet will end up being receptive to Washington’s wishes or instead choose to forge ahead and do things their own way remains to be seen. But experts aren’t holding out much hope.

“Have they actually decided to further alienate the Americans?” Saab said. “We keep telling them, don’t do it, and [Netanyahu] is about to do it.”

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Members of Commander Richard Byrd’s Antarctic (or South Pole, as it was then called) crew, soon to embark on a two-year expedition to the bottom of the world, learn the art of speedwriting to ensure accurate shorthand recording of scientific data on the expedition on August 8, 1928.

Comdr. Byrd is dictating to his explorer-stenographers under the tutelage of Emma B. Dearborn, who created speedwriting. Left to right, seated: C.D. Alexander, supply officer; C.E. Lofgren, personnel officer; H. Mason, radio operator; C.G. McGuinness, First Mate of the Samson; K.F. Bubier, mechanic. Standing, left to right: F.B. Mulroy, chief engineer; F.D. Coman, doctor; Sid Greason, steward; Comdr. Byrd, and Miss Dearborn.

Photo: Associated Press

[beardedmrbean]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office says it has filed an emergency request for another court to review the case of a Memphis man released from jail without paying bond.

30-year-old Detawn Gunn is accused of shooting at least four people outside of Railgarten, a Midtown restaurant, earlier this month. But Monday, following his bond hearing, he was released on his own recognizance.

This comes after his initial bond was set at $500,000 by a judicial commissioner. The District Attorney requested to keep that bond amount, and Gunn’s attorney asked for the bond to be reduced to $75,000.

But, Gunn was still able to leave jail without paying anything.

“I’m glad he’s out,” said Joe Gunn, Detawn’s father.

Joe Gunn talked to us about his son, who is accused of shooting multiple people after a fight over a parking space outside Railgarten.

He says he relies on his son to take him to dialysis appointments.

“He go to the store with me, buy me food, stuff like that,” said Joe. “He takes care of me. I turned 75-years-old, so I’m glad he’s out.”

He says he is standing by his son’s innocence.

There are plenty of others making their voices heard following Gunn’s release.

Corey Coleman says he was shot by Gunn. We spoke to him last week when he showed us his extensive injuries.

Texas father shot several times over parking dispute at Railgarten

“Shots in the rib, the back, stomach. I got staples all the way across. Whole back ate up here and the back of the head,” said Coleman.

On Wednesday, we briefly talked to him by phone about the release, as he said he’s in excruciating pain.

He told us he is “really confused” and he “doesn’t feel safe” and is trying to get back to Texas where he permanently lives.

Lawmakers are also sharing concerns.

Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor wrote letters to District Attorney Steve Mulroy and Disciplinary Counsel Marshall Davidson for the board of Judicial conduct saying he wanted to make Davidson aware of the circumstances surrounding Gunn’s release.

He also said that Judge Bill Anderson, who made the decision, violated a new state law requiring the safety of the community to be the first consideration of bail.

We also spoke with Judge Anderson today, who told us he cannot comment on pending cases, but encouraged us to request the audio from the bond hearing to understand why he made the decision he did.

WREG has filed a “Freedom of Information Act” request for the audio from the hearing.

A date does not appear to have been set yet on the D.A.’s request to have another court review the case. We will keep you updated as we learn more.

We also looked into Gunn’s criminal history. Beyond driving infractions, court records show he was arrested in 2016 on drug and weapons charges, but they were dismissed.

[flowerandblood]

The first story I read of yours was The Evening Star and it's still one of my faves 💛 like all tumblr girls I am a huge Persephone stan!

Bonus, these are two Persephone poems that I love, I quoted the first one in my reblog of the fic:

A.E Stallings Tara Mae Mulroy

I knoooow!!!! Aghhhh I love Persephone, this myth is one of my FAVORITES OF ALL TIME. I'm greek mythology girl 100% I love all about it and writing it was a such a fucking joyyyyy!!!!!!

LOVE YOU

Ask game: which of my fics brought you to my blog?

[p-clodius-pulcher]

mmmmhm. Okay David Mulroy from 1988. i choose to believe clodius was cuntenserven!!!!

[dnaamericaapp]

Dirty Cops Who Killed Tyre Nichols Get Dozens Of Their Cases Dropped By Memphis DA

The death of Tyre Nichols is still having an impact on the justice system in Memphis, Tennessee.

According to ABC 24, the Shelby County District Attorney’s office has dropped 30-40 cases worked on by the officers who were charged in the death of Tyre Nichols.

The DA’s office reviewed around 100 cases shared between former Memphis Police officers Tadarrius Bean, Emmitt Martin III, Justin Smith, Desmond Mills Jr. and Demetrius Haley. From the 100, at least 30 cases were dismissed and around a dozen cases had charges reduced.

Shelby County District Attorney Steven Mulroy’s spokesperson told AP that a lack of credibility from the former officers was the reason for the dismissals.

“DA Mulroy cites that the dismissals came down to the lack of credibility from the five officers since the charges,” Mulroy’s spokesperson, Erica Williams, said in the statement. -(source: news one)

DNA America

“It’s what we know, not what you want us to believe.”

#dna #dnaamerica #news #politics

[tomorrowusa]

That bit about nuclear secrets is no joke. Donald Trump was, and still is, a danger to national security.

‘Devastating': Current and former officials shocked over military secrets found at Mar-a-Lago

The unsealed indictment on former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents has current and former national security officials claiming the case is “devastating” against him and that “damage” may have been done to U.S. national security. Trump is facing 31 counts of violating the Espionage Act through “willful retention” of classified records and six counts related to his alleged effort to obstruct the investigation, according to the 49-page document released Friday. [ ... ] The more than 100 documents seized from Trump’s office in a storage room at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida ranged from Confidential to Top Secret. Images released along with the indictment showed stacks of boxes in open areas, with one showing them lining the walls of a bathroom. [ ... ] The latest legal woe for Trump has his former aides fuming. “The indictment is devastating. Those who defended Trump before the charges were made public, or those who have not yet spoken, should very carefully weigh how history will consider their statements,” John Bolton, Trump’s third national security adviser, told POLITICO. Others are more worried about what it means for the United States to have had such sensitive papers out in the open. “The classified documents described in the indictment are some of the most sensitive information we possess,” said Mick Mulroy, a senior Pentagon official in the Trump administration. “This type of information should never be removed from a secured facility and once discovered should have been immediately returned.” Mulroy suspects that an intelligence and security review may be conducted alongside the criminal proceedings to discover “any potential damage that may have been done to our national security.”

All that far right lickspittles of Trump can do is try to revive their lame chant "but her emails!".

At least Hillary deleted emails instead of sharing them with Russian assets. And she probably didn't keep that famous email server in her bathroom. 😆🚽

[xtruss]

It’s time for the Vernal Equinox, when Sunrise and Sunset are about 12 hours apart Worldwide. Illustration Janet Loehrke/USA Today

2024 Spring Equinox: A Visual Guide to the Changing of the Seasons

— Janet Loehrke | USA Today | March 17, 2024

I Thought it was Spring Already?

Maybe it seemed like it between the unseasonably warm winter temperatures and Punxsutawney Phil's prediction of an early spring. But on March 19, the astronomical winter ends and spring begins. It's also known as the vernal equinox – when day and night are the about same length almost everywhere on Earth.

When the vernal equinox takes place on Tuesday evening in the U.S., it will already be March 20 for most of the world. A March 21 equinox won't occur on the continental U.S. during the entire 21st century, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Here's what happens on the first day of spring.

When is the Spring Equinox?

The March equinox comes at 11:06 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, the precise moment the sun's rays shine directly on the equator. Meteorologists actually consider March 1 the beginning of spring.

Tuesday is one of two days of the year – the other is the day of the autumnal equinox in September – when the Earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in roughly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness almost everywhere on the planet.

Source: NASA (Not to Scale)

What Causes the Seasons to Change?

After the spring equinox, the north pole continues tilting toward the sun until summer solstice, or the day when the northern hemisphere receives the most sunlight. After that longest day in June, the north pole begins its six-month retreat in the sky toward winter.

The word "equinox" comes from the Latin words "aequalis" and "nox," meaning "equal night." On the autumnal (and the spring) equinox, day and night are roughly 12 hours long each in most of the world.

Day and night aren't exactly 12 hours long on the day of the equinox because the Earth's atmosphere refracts, or bends, light in an optical illusion that brings more daylight than there really is. Because of this, the date when day and night are of exactly equal length is usually a few days after the spring equinox.

What's the Difference Between an Equinox and a Solstice?

Equinoxes – when day and night are roughly equal – occur in March and September and mark the astronomical beginning of spring and autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.

Solstices occur in June and December, which mark the beginning of astronomical summer and winter. The summer solstice is when the sun is at its highest point in the sky and the winter solstice occurs when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky.

— Contributing: Doyle Rice, Liz Kellar and Clare Mulroy, USA Today

[ausetkmt]

Former Memphis police officer on the SCORPION unit and the fired cops charged in Tyre Nichols' death - CBS News

Memphis police "permanently deactivate" SCORPION unit Memphis police "deactivate" SCORPION unit whose officers are charged in death of Tyre Nichols 03:51

A former veteran Memphis city police officer who knew those involved in Tyre Nichols' violent arrest spoke to CBS News about one of the five ex-officers charged in the case, and the so-called SCORPION unit those five were members of. 

He described the "proactive" approach of the ex-officer as someone who thought, if you didn't go after the bad guys aggressively you were not doing your job as a police officer.

"I never thought this would happen," the former officer told CBS News. The former officer, who recently left the department after 10 years, spoke only on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

He said he knew each of the charged ex-officers and worked closely at times with one of them, Demetrius Haley. The five were fired from their jobs and are facing charges of second-degree murder for the brutal beating of Nichols after a Jan. 7 traffic stop. 

Morale is very low at the Memphis Police Department right now, according to the former officer.

"This is not an indication of who the department is," he said. "We deal with very bad people. There are fights and foot chases but we all have an understanding when it's time to stop."

Tyre Nichols was arrested after Haley and and the four other officers — Tadarrius Bean, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — stopped him for reckless driving. Video from the scene, released by the city on Friday, shows Nichols was severely beaten. He died three days later in the hospital.

The Director of Tennessee Bureau of Investigation David Rausch said he was "sickened" and "shocked,'' by the video footage he viewed of the beating. "Let me be clear: what happened here does not at all reflect proper policing. This was wrong. This was criminal.''

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy joined Rausch at the news conference Thursday to announce the charges against the five fired officers.

"We want justice for Tyre Nichols," Mulroy said. "…The world is watching us and we need to show the world what lessons we can learn from this tragedy."

In the interview with CBS News, the former Memphis police officer described 30-year-old Haley as "a young, athletic, confident guy." 

But he said Haley did butt heads with others in the department for, in Haley's view, their not being aggressive enough in pursuing criminals.

CBS News is attempting to reach a representative of Haley's for comment.

Haley, a former Shelby County Corrections Officer, was a member of the hand-picked SCORPION team, a specialized unit formed in 2021 to fight violent street crime. 

The name SCORPION stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods. There are more than two dozen officers assigned to SCORPION teams. They  wear black hoodies and tactical black vests with "POLICE" emblazoned across the front and back, and drive dark colored Dodge Chargers marked with a SCORPION seal. 

The crime-suppression teams patrol in groups and at times use justified low-level traffic stops as a way to find violent criminals, drugs or weapons.

"You have to be a go-getter, for the most part," to join the SCORPION unit, the former officer told CBS News. "You have to be someone who wants to make a difference, who wants to catch the bad guy."

In a news bulletin published on Jan. 27, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said, "Since this event happened, the SCORPION Unit has been and remains inactive," though he didn't clarify when the unit was deactivated. Strickland also said that the city is "initiating an outside, independent review of the training, policies and operations of our specialized units." 

Memphis Police Director Cerelyn "CJ" Davis told CNN that investigators "have not been able to substantiate" the initial report of reckless driving that prompted Nichols' arrest. And Nichols family attorney Antonio Romanucci questioned the justification for the stop, saying on CNN, "we know that the saturation and suppression units do use pretext to stop in order to carry out this … wolf pack mentality of policing."

The former Memphis officer who spoke with CBS News said with a large number of officers retiring from the department, younger, less experienced members of the department were being tapped for the specialized SCORPION teams. They were not well-trained and not properly managed, he said, describing the training as consisting of three days of PowerPoint presentations, one day of criminal apprehension instruction and one day at the firing range.

The Memphis Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The officers charged in Nichols' death were hired from 2017 to 2020. They were 24 to 32 years old.

"You have to have crime suppression units,'' the former officer said. "You can't get crime down by only showing up at schools and talking to the kids and putting up posters."

He stressed that the department is made up of truly dedicated officers committed to their mission, committed to helping people.

"They still have to go out each day and get to work. They still have to fight crime."