February 1, 2023
[Nichols was] a good person, a beautiful soul, a son, a father, a brother, a friend, a human being, gone too soon, denied his rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Rev. Dr. J. Lawrence Turner opening the funeral service for 29-year-old Tyre Nichols.
On January 7, Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old black man was pulled over by Memphis police in a traffic stop – an altercation ensued and Nichols ran. Five Memphis police officers pursued and eventually confronted and arrested Nichols. Video released showed the officers beating Nichols. He was hospitalized and died three days later. The five officers involved have been fired and charged in Nichols’ death. Two other officers have been placed on leave, and three EMT personnel have also been fired related to the incident. On Wednesday, the funeral for Nichols was held in a church in Memphis, Tennessee.
Nichols was a father to a 4-year-old son, a brother, skateboarder and an amateur photographer. He “worked making boxes at FedEx, made friends during morning visits to Starbucks and always greeted his mother and stepfather when he returned home with a sunny, ‘Hello, parents!’ … Nichols grew up in Sacramento, California, and loved the San Francisco 49ers. He came to Memphis just before the coronavirus pandemic and got stuck. But he was fine with it because he was with his mother, RowVaughn Wells, and they were incredibly close, she said. He even had her name tattooed on his arm” (The Associated Press).
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris attended Nichol’s funeral on Wednesday, and at the conclusion of her unscheduled remarks, she said, “Let our memory of Tyre shine a light on the path toward peace and justice.”
‘We love you, Tyre’: Mourners gather for Nichol’s funeral (The Associated Press)
Tyre Nichols loved skateboarding. That’s how his friends say they’ll remember him (NPR)
by Jenna Lee,
