CNN  — 

The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the city of Memphis and its police department, it announced Thursday. The investigation will seek to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution or federal law by the police department.

The investigation follows the death of Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop by Memphis police officers in January. The Justice Department said Thursday the new probe is separate from the federal criminal civil rights investigation of the Memphis officers in that case.

This is a developing story and will be updated.