Vice President Kamala Harris will attend Tyre Nichols’s funeral on Wednesday after speaking to Nichols’s parents.
Harris spoke with RowVaughn Wells and Rodney Wells for more than 30 minutes on Tuesday morning. The vice president took the opportunity to try and comfort Nichols’s mother after video of his arrest and beating by several Memphis police officers was released last week.
TYRE NICHOLS DEATH SPARKS LONG-SHOT PUSH FOR POLICE REFORM
“Vice President Harris and Ms. Wells spoke exclusively, and during this emotional time, the vice president was able to console Ms. Wells and even help her smile,” family attorney Ben Crump said. “Tyre’s parents invited Vice President Harris to the funeral tomorrow and were pleased that she accepted their invitation.”
Breonna Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, and George Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd will also be in attendance because their relatives were also victims of police violence.
Nichols, 29, died after five Memphis police officers conducted a traffic stop that turned violent and resulted in officers aggressively forcing Nichols to the ground, beating him, and pepper-spraying him. The footage from the stop, from both police bodycams and street pole surveillance tapes, was released on Friday in four parts.
Ex-officers Desmond Mills Jr., Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Bean, Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith face charges of second-degree murder, one count of official oppression, aggravated assault-act in concert, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, and two counts of official misconduct.
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In total, nine first responders have been terminated for their connection to Nichols’s death. Two other Memphis police officers, Preston Hemphill and an unnamed officer, were relieved from duty and placed on administrative leave on Monday.
Two deputies from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office were relieved of duty on Jan. 27. Three Memphis Fire Department personnel, EMT-Basic Robert Long, EMT-Advanced JaMicheal Sandridge, and Lt. Michelle Whitaker, were also terminated for their roles in Nichols’s beating.
