VP Kamala Harris speaks at Tyre Nichols funeral in Memphis

A moving funeral service for Tyre Nichols — who died this month following a vicious beating at the hands of police — took place Wednesday in Memphis, bookended by a 70-person gospel choir and featuring an address from Vice President Kamala Harris.

Father-of-one Nichols, 29, died on Jan. 10 in hospital, three days after he was severely injured by five police officers who were caught on camera holding him down and beating him repeatedly. The horrific incident took place just yards from Nichols’ mother’s home, and he could be heard calling out for her as he was beaten unconscious.

The funeral for Nichols, a Fedex driver, was attended by some 2,500 mourners and began at 2 p.m. local time at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, after being delayed by an ice storm.

The powerful service, included eulogies, gospel songs and a pictoral tribute and was attended by luminaries including movie director Spike Lee and Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, who gave a moving speech.

Harris — who was seen embracing Tyre’s parents, Rodney and RowVaughn Wells upon her entry — began by addressing them, saying: “Mrs. Wells, Mr. Wells you have been extraordinary in terms of strength, courage and grace. We mourn with you and the people of our country mourn with you.

“Mothers around the world, when their babies are born, pray to God when they hold that child — that that body and life will be safe, for the rest of his life. Yet we have a mother and a father who mourn the life of a young man who should be here today.”

Addressing the congregation more widely, she added: “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.

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“This violent act was not in pursuit of public safety … Was he not also entitled to the right to be safe? When we talk about public safety, let us understand what it means in its truest form. Tyre Nichols should’ve been safe.”

Harrowing bodycam footage of Nichols’ assault showed cops using excessive force to hit him with punches and kicks and a telescopic baton, then pulling him to his knees. Body cam footage of the incident prompted protests and another reckoning about police violence across the US.

Nichols’ remains arrived to the church in a white Cadillac hearse a few hours before the service started. Two men were seen wheeling his black casket into the building.

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Others who had suffered police violence were also in attendance. Tiffany Rachel, the mother of Jalen Randall, who was fatally shot by a Houston Police officer in April 2022, performed a song for the crowd after offering Nichols’ family their condolences. Tamika Palmer, the mother of Breonna Taylor, was also at the service, as was Philonise Floyd, brother of George Floyd.

In his stirring speech, Sharpton explained the historical context of the city of Memphis — where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated — and pointed out how the five black officers accused of beating Nichols to death were a disgrace to the forefathers who had suffered to put them into positions of power.

“The reason why what happened to Tyre is so personal to me, is that five black men that wouldn’t have had a job in the police department, would not ever be thought of to be in an elite squad, in the city that Dr. King lost his life, not far away from that balcony [where he was shot], you beat a brother to death,” he said.

“There is nothing more insulting and offensive to those of us that fight to open doors, that you walk through the doors and act like the folks we had to fight to get you through them doors.

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“You didn’t get on a police department by yourself, the police chief didn’t get there by herself. People had to march and go to jail and some lost their lives to open doors for you,” he continued. And how dare you act like that sacrifice was for nothing. In the city that they slayed the dreamer,” he said, referring to King Jr.

“What has happened to the dream?

“You don’t fight crime by becoming criminals yourself. You don’t stand up to thugs in the street becoming thugs yourself … That ain’t the police, that’s punks.

“I believe if that man had been white, you wouldn’t have beat him like that that night,” he said, addressing the officers: Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills, Jr., Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III and Tadarrius Bean.

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Reverend Dr. J. Lawrence Turner had opened the service, saying: “We have come to be of comfort and support to this family. This family has endured the unsolicited, unwarranted, unreasonable and unjustifiable massive burden of grieving their loved one — and at the same time demanding justice.”

The five officers involved in the beating were part of a now-disbanded special police unit called SCORPION which was formed to deal with high-crime areas and have since been fired and arrested on murder charges. 

Three Memphis Fire Department employees have also been fired, and two sheriff’s deputies and two other police officers have been placed on leave.

Members of Nichols’ family also spoke at the service to pay tribute to the mild-mannered skateboarder.

Nichols’ sister Keyana Dixon briefly spoke at the funeral, saying her brother was “robbed of his life, his passions, and his talents, but not his light.” His father Rodney Wells said he hopes his son’s death leads the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act being passed, something echoed in Harris’ and Sharpton’s speeches.

“We have to fight for justice,” Wells said. “We cannot continue to let these people brutalize our kids.”

Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells also briefly spoke through tears, calling her son “a beautiful person.”

“For this to happen to him is just unimaginable,” the grieving mom said. “I promise the only thing keeping me going is I truly believe my son was sent here on an assignment from God and I guess now his assignment is done — and he’s been taken home.”