Family of Tyre Nichols to Lay Him to Rest, Five Memphis Police Officers Charged with Second-Degree Murder in Connection to His Death

Memphis, Tennessee – On Wednesday, the family of Tyre Nichols will lay him to rest, three weeks after he died following a brutal beating by Memphis police after a traffic stop. The funeral service will be held at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, and mourners are expected to celebrate Nichols’ life rather than focus on the heart-wrenching footage of the beating that left him in a hospital bed for days with his face badly swollen and bruised before his death, sparking protests across the country.

Nichols, 29, who was Black, was a free spirit with a passion for skateboarding and capturing sunsets on his camera. He had a 4-year-old son and worked hard to better himself as a father, his family said. He worked making boxes at FedEx, made friends during morning visits to Starbucks, and always greeted his mother and step-father when he returned home with a sunny, “Hello, parents!”

The family of Tyre Nichols is being represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is also representing other Black families in similar cases. Crump said in a statement, “Tyre’s death is a tragedy that should never have happened. We are here to seek justice for Tyre and his family and to ensure that no other family has to endure the pain and suffering that Tyre’s family is going through.”

Five Memphis police officers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nichols’ death. The family is hoping that justice will be served and that the officers will be held accountable for their actions.

Nichols was the baby of his family, born 12 years after his closest siblings. His family hopes that his life will be remembered as a symbol of hope and justice. They are asking for prayers and support as they lay him to rest.