Tyre Nichols funeral: George Floyd's family joins thousands of mourners at Memphis church
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: Thousands of mourners packed at the Memphis church for the funeral service for Tyre Nichols was joined by the family of George Floyd. On Wednesday, February 1, Vice President Kamala Harris was also spotted attending the service for Nichols who died on January 10, three days after he was brutally beaten by police officers during a traffic stop.
The 29-year-old FedEx driver succumbed to his injuries from the attack that took place just yards from his mother Row Vaughn Wells' home. Father of a two-year-old son, Nichols' funeral began at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. Delayed by an ice storm, the service started at 2.00 pm. As the funeral service began, Reverend Dr J Lawrence Turner said, “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.”
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Tyre Nichols' funeral service
At the funeral service of Tyre Nichols, Rev. Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy and a Call to Action will be delivered by Ben Crump, renowned civil rights lawyer. At the announcement, the reverend stated that Nichols was "denied his rights to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness" and he was "denied right to hold his son." The reverend remembered him as a "good person, a beautiful soul, a son, a father, a brother, a friend, a human being, gone too soon."
In a white Cadillac hearse, the remains of fatally beaten Nichols arrived at the Memphis church. A few hours before the funeral service began, his black casket was seen wheeled into the building by two men.
George Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd and Breonna Taylor's mother Tamika Palmer are in attendance at the service. After offering condolences to Nichols' family, Jalen Randall's mother Tiffany Rachel performed a song for the crowd gathered. Randall was shot and killed in April 2022 by a Houston police officer.
Where are the five Memphis cops now?
The shocking bodycam visuals of Nichols viciously beaten by Memphis police officers sparked outrage across the US. From the gut-wrenching video, he could be repeatedly heard saying "Mom! Mom!." Nichols is seen pleading for his life saying “I'm just trying to go home," as the officers forced him to his knees.
Fired from duty following the tragic death of Nichols, the five Memphis officers involved in the incident identified as Tadarrius Bean, Emmit Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., Justin Smith, and Demetrius Haley taken into custody and were charged with second-degree murder. After a bond posting, the officers were released from Shelby County Jail, a day after their arrest on January 26, according to court records. Along with the five Memphis cops, three employees of the Memphis Fire Department have also been fired.