Vice President plans to attend Kamala Harris funeral Tyr Nichols, who died Three days after he was beaten by Memphis police officers just minutes from his home, the White House said Tuesday.
According to Harris’ press secretary, Kirsten Allen, Ms Harris was invited to attend the funeral services on Wednesday by Nicholls’ mother and stepfather, Rowan Wells and Rodney Wells. Harris spoke to the Welles family by phone on Tuesday, offering her condolences and her support. President Joe Biden spoke with Nichols’ family by phone last week.
Ms. Harris will be joined by former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a senior adviser to the president for public engagement, and Mitch Landrieu, a senior White House adviser and infrastructure implementation coordinator, who is the former mayor of New Orleans. Told.
Explained | Tyr Nichols assault case and its aftermath
Five black officers were fired and charged with second-degree murder and other crimes in connection with the January 7 beating and subsequent death of Nichols. Video of the beating, which was released publicly last week, shows that several more people failed to help Nichols, who was also black, in addition to the five officers charged in his death.
Officials said Monday that two more Memphis police officers have been disciplined and three emergency responders have been fired in connection with Nichols’ death. Police said Officer Preston Hemphill, who is white, and another officer whose name was not released have been suspended.
Family of Nichols, Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Ben Crump plan to gather Tuesday evening at the historic Masonic Temple in Memphis — where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech the night before his assassination — to speak about the latest in the case Events.
Scorpion Unit Disbanded
Six of the officers involved were part of the so-called Scorpion unit, which targets violent criminals in high-crime areas. Other Memphis residents who say they were also “brutalized” by officers in the unit will also speak at Mason Temple, according to a statement from Crump.
Police Chief Cerelin “CJ” Davis said after the release of the video that the unit had been disbanded.
“It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s not enough because of the gravity of the situation,” said Damian Carrick, 44, taking part in a protest Monday evening at Shelby Farm Park. “You had a man dragged out of his car, beaten senseless, pounded to a pulp and no one was doing anything about it. This is heart wrenching.
Nichols’ death was the latest in a string of early accounts by police about their use of force that later downplayed or omitted violent and sometimes fatal encounters.
Memphis Police Department officers used a stun gun, a baton, and their fists to beat Nichols during the night’s arrest. The video shows Nichols running away from officers towards his home after being pulled over on suspicion of reckless driving. Video footage released on Friday showed the 29-year-old father calling for his mother and battling his injuries as he sat helplessly on the pavement.
The five officers talked and mingled for several minutes while Nichols remained on the ground, but other officers were at the scene. Two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies have also been suspended without pay while their conduct is investigated.
Nichols’ older brother, Jamal Dupree, told CNN’s Don Lemon on Tuesday that he feels guilty because he was not there to protect his younger brother.
“I’m 99% sure my brother never fought before. And once he got into conflict with other humans, we weren’t there to protect him. My brother was trying to cooperate with them.” Was,” Dupree, who lives in California, said of the Memphis officers.
Dupree said he has not seen the police video.
Dupree said, “I already knew how they treated him because I’ve seen it all over the world.” You don’t need to watch the video to know that.”
He said he has seen reports about his brother and thinks others are getting to know him for who he was as a person.
“I think people really know that my brother didn’t deserve this,” he told CNN. “He wasn’t that type of person. Yeah, he was a good guy all around the board. … We want justice.
Nichols’ sister, Keena Dixon, was among more than 100 friends, family and supporters who gathered for a candlelight vigil Monday night at a skate park in Sacramento, where Nichols grew up, The Sacramento Bee reported.
“It was his favorite place to skate,” she said cautiously. “I just want to thank all of you for your continued support for our family, and making sure that his name is never forgotten.”
Ryan Wilson, a childhood friend, said he met Nicholls at a skate park at age 12 and they became fast friends, sharing their dreams for the future. Nichols had some struggles in his youth, but he focused on making others happy, Wilson said.
Wilson said, “I just feel like all he wanted to do was find his place in this world, and he just wanted to be happy.”
Rowan and Rodney Wells have accepted an invitation to attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address next week at the Capitol. He will run with Rep. Steven Horsford, a Nevada Democrat and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, according to caucus spokesman Vincent Evans.
Nichols’ funeral was held Wednesday at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis. Sharpton will deliver the eulogy and Crump will speak immediately after the funeral. Those expected to attend include Tamika Palmer, mother of Breonna Taylor, and Philonise Floyd, brother of George Floyd.
Taylor’s death in Louisville, Kentucky, and Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minneapolis sparked protests against racial injustice across the country.