Tyre Nichols funeral to get underway in Memphis, Tennessee, with VP Harris in attendance

The funeral for Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man who died earlier this month after video showed him being beaten by Memphis police officers, will get underway in Memphis, Tennessee, Wednesday. 

Vice President Kamala Harris will join RowVaughn Wells – Nichols’ mother – and his stepfather Rodney Wells at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church to pay tribute to Tyre, who is being remembered as a joyful man who loved photography and skateboarding. 

Six Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers in total have been fired in the wake of the Jan. 7 traffic stop, which led to Nichols’ death three days later. 

Five of the officers, who are Black, are facing seven counts each in the wake of the incident, including second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and official misconduct. 

MEMPHIS POLICE TO RELEASE MORE AUDIO, VIDEO FROM TYRE NICHOLS TRAFFIC STOP 

They have been identified as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith. 

An MPD spokesman confirmed on Monday the department relieved Officer Preston Hemphill of duty as well. The 26-year-old officer joined the force in 2018 and allegedly used his taser on Nichols prior to the beating by the five other officers. 

TYRE NICHOLS INVESTIGATION: DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS ‘THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO INTENT TO PROTECT ANYBODY’ 

Preston, who is White, has not yet been charged with a crime in connection to the incident. Memphis police say he is the subject of an ongoing investigation, however. 

Officials released footage of Nichols’ beating on Friday. It showed the five officers punching, kicking and hitting Nichols with batons as he laid prone. 

 

City of Memphis Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Sink also said in a Tuesday evening statement that the city will be holding all additional video and audio relating to the Jan. 7 traffic stop until it completes an administrative investigation, which should occur in the “coming weeks.” 

Nichols was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Memphis in critical condition, and died on Jan. 10. 

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace, Adam Sabes and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.