MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Congress must act to pass national police reform, Vice President Kamala Harris told mourners at the Wednesday funeral of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man who died after being beaten bloody by Memphis police officers last month.
Harris’ trip to the Southern city comes five days after Memphis officials released nearly one hour of videos showing officers punching and kicking Nichols after a traffic stop. Nichols died at a local hospital three days later.
Five officers shown in the videos — Justin Smith, Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills Jr., Demetrius Haley and Emmitt Martin III, all of whom are Black— have been fired from the Memphis Police Department and charged with second-degree murder. They face up to 60 years in prison if convicted.
