He ‘should have been safe’

Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday mourned the death of Tyre Nichols, calling his death at the hands of police a moment that demands congressional police reform.

“Was he not also entitled to the right to be safe? So when we talk about public safety, let us understand what it means in its truest form.

Tyre Nichols should have been safe,” Harris said in her brief remarks at his Memphis funeral service.

The vice president expressed hope that Nichols’ death might “shine a light on the path toward peace and justice” as she called on Congress to pass police reform legislation.

Nichols’ funeral service took place less than a week afterfootage of his arrest was made public, shaking a nation accustomed to videos of police brutality, especially against people of color. The five officers charged with Nichols’ death are Black.