Tyre Nichols laid to rest as US Vice President urges police reform

Tyre Nichols laid to rest as US Vice President urges police reform

'This violent act was not in pursuit of public safety ... Tyre Nichols should have been safe,' says Harris

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - Tyre Nichols was laid to rest Wednesday in Memphis, Tennessee, nearly four weeks after he was beaten to death by five Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers.

Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, and stepfather, Rodney Wells, were surrounded by family and friends at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis for the service, which was also attended by US Vice President Kamala Harris and activists.

Harris hailed the "extraordinary" strength and courage embodied by the Wells', saying the nation is joining them in their time of mourning.

"This is a family that lost their son and their brother through an act of violence at the hands and the feet of people who had been charged with keeping them safe," said Harris. "This violent act was not in pursuit of public safety. It was not in the interest of keeping the public safe because one must ask was not it in the interest of keeping the public safe that Tyre Nichols would be with us here today? Was he not also entitled to the right to be safe? Tyre Nichols should have been safe."

In video released last Friday of the Jan. 7 beating, Nichols, 29, was seen being viciously pummeled by the five officers -- Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Bean, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith.

The officers kicked, punched, pepper-sprayed and hit Nichols with a police baton as he laid nearly lifeless on the ground after the brutal beating. Nichols died Jan. 10. All five officers were subsequently fired by MPD and face second-degree murder charges.

Two additional officers, Preston Hemphill and another unnamed MPD officer, were "relieved of duty" for their involvement in the incident. Three Memphis Fire Department workers were also fired for their response to Nichols' beating.

Harris, a former US senator from the state of California, explained she was a co-author of the original George Floyd Justice and Policing Act, which is expected to be introduced in the US Senate in the upcoming weeks.

The proposed modified legislation would limit qualified immunity, the controversial legal doctrine that largely shields law enforcement and government officials from being sued for conduct on the job. It would also prevent racial profiling and restrict the use of excessive force by police.

Harris appealed to lawmakers to pass the legislation and send it to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. But its prospects are grim given widespread opposition among Republicans who now control the House of Representatives.

"As Vice President of the United States, we demand that Congress pass the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act," she said. "Joe Biden will sign it. And we should not delay and we will not be denied. It is non-negotiable."



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