'You have been extraordinary': Kamala Harris offers condolences to Tyre Nichols' mother at his funeral
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: Kamala Harris, Vice-President of the United States was in attendance at Tyre Nichols’ funeral as the family and the nation mourned his death. The FedEx driver, who was brutally beaten to death by five Memphis police officers, was stopped for a traffic violation. He was thrashed by Tadarrius Bean, Emmit Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr, Justin Smith, and Demetrius Hailey; all are now suspended. At the gathering, Kamala Harris addressed the mourners, especially Tyre Nichols’ mother, and stepfather, “You have been extraordinary in terms of your strength, your courage, and your grace.”
“Mothers around the world, when their babies are born, pray to God when they hold that child, that that body and that life will be safe,” the Vice-President continued. “Yet we have a mother and a father who mourn the life of a young man who should be here today. They have a grandson who now does not have a father,” Harris, a stepmother to Cole, and Ella, whom she shares with husband Doug Harris, said. She further said, "Nichols died in an 'act of violence' at the hands and the feet of the people who have been charged with keeping them safe. This violent act was not in pursuit of public safety," reports ABC News. Referring to The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, Harris clarified it is "non-negotiable."
READ MORE
Bodycam footage reveals Tyre Nichols waited 22 MINUTES for ambulance after brutal assault by cops
"This violent act was not in pursuit of public safety," Vice President Kamala Harris says at Tyre Nichols' funeral.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 1, 2023
"Was he not also entitled to the right to be safe?" Harris says. "Tyre Nichols should've been safe." pic.twitter.com/A827Ja1K5T
'No words to describe heartbreak'
President Biden and other politicians expressed their pain and frustration, where the leader of the free world talked about the urgent need for an immediate probe and nonviolent demonstrations after a conversation with Nichols' parents earlier that day. “There are no words to describe the heartbreak and grief of losing a beloved child and young father,” Biden said appealing to the Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
Barack Obama calls for 'immediate overhaul'
A few days back, former president Barack Obama, along with his wife, reacted to heinous killing by police officers via Twitter. In a joint statement, the couple mentioned how American policing needs an immediate overhaul, and referred to the fatal beating as 'unexplainable'. They further wrote, “The vicious, unjustified beating of Tyre Nichols and his ultimate death at the hands of five Memphis police officers is just the latest, painful reminder of how far America still has to go in fixing how we police our streets.”
The first Black president, in another tweet on Saturday, January 28, said, “Along with mourning Tyre and supporting his family, it’s up to all of us to mobilize for lasting change.” The 61-year-old shared the link to his website and asked people to work together to fix the issues, “To learn more about how communities can reimagine public safety to prevent both crime and injustice.”
