Biden introduces parents of Tyre Nichols at SOTU, calls for police reform

During his State of the Union address, President Biden introduced the parents of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who was beaten to death by Memphis police officers last month, making an emotional appeal for police reform.

Video Transcript

JOE BIDEN: Public safety depends on public trust as all of us know. But too often, that trust is violated. Joining us tonight are the parents of Tyre Nichols. Welcome.

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They had to bury Tyre last week. As many of you personally know, there's no words to describe the heartache of grief of losing the child. But imagine, imagine if you lost that child at the hands of the law. Imagine having to worry whether your son or daughter came home from walking down the street, playing in the park or just driving a car.

Most of us in here have never had to have the talk, the talk, that Brown and Black parents have had to have with their children. Beau, Hunter, Ashley, my children, I never had to have ever talk with them. I never had to tell them if a police officer pulls you over, turn your interior lights on right away. Don't reach for your license. Keep your hands on the steering wheel. Imagine having to worry like that every single time if your kid got in a car.

Here's what Tyre's mother shared with me when I spoke to her, when I ask her how she finds the courage to carry on and speak out. The faith of God, she said, her son was, quote, "a beautiful soul and something good will come of this." Imagine how much courage you carry that takes. It's up to us, to all of us. We all want the same thing-- neighborhoods free of violence, law enforcement-- of enforcement, who earns the community's trust.

Just as every cop, when they pin on that badge in the morning has a right to be able to go home at night, so does everybody else out there. Our children have a right to come home safely.

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Equal protection under the law is a covenant we have with each other in America.

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We know police officers put their lives on the line every single night and day. And we know we asked them, in many cases, to do too much to be counselors, social workers, psychologists, responding to drug overdoses, mental health crises, and so much more. In one sense, we ask much too much of them. I know most cops and their families are good, decent, honorable people, the vast majority.

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But they risk--

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And they risk their lives every time they put that shield on. But what happened to Tyre in Memphis happens too often. We have to do better. Give law enforcement the real training they need. Hold them to higher standards. Help them succeed in keeping us safe. We also need more first responders and professionals to address the growing mental health, substance abuse challenges.

More resources to reduce violent crime and gun crime. More community intervention programs. More investment housing, education, and jobs training. All this can help prevent violence in the first place. When police officers or police departments violate the public trust, they must be held accountable.

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We could support--

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We could support the families of victims, civil rights groups, and law enforcement. I signed an executive order for all federal officers, banning chokeholds, restricting no-knock warrants, and other key elements of the George Floyd Act. Let's commit ourselves to make the words of Tyre's mom true, something good must come from this. Something good.

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And all of us, all of us--

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Folks, it's difficult but it's simple, all of us in this chamber, we need to rise to this moment. We can't turn away. We must do what we in our hearts that we need to do. Let's come together to finish the job on police reform. Do something. Do something.