Harris speaks at Tyre Nichols’s funeral, calls for passage of George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the funeral of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man who died three days after being beaten by Memphis police officers during a traffic stop. Harris said the "violent act" by police, which was captured on video, "was not in pursuit of public safety.” The vice president also called for the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

Video Transcript

KAMALA HARRIS: Mothers around the world, when their babies are born pray to God, when they hold that child that their body and that life will be safe for the rest of his life. Yet, we have a mother and a father, who mourn the life of a young man who should be here today. They have a grandson, who now does not have a father. His brothers and sister, will lose the love of growing old with their baby brother. And when we look at this situation, this is a family that lost their son, and their brother, through an act of violence at the hands and the feet of people who had been charged with keeping them safe.

[APPLAUSE]

And when I think about the courage and the strength of this family, I think it demands that we speak truth. And with this, I will say, this violent act was not in pursuit of public safety, it was not in the interest of keeping the public safe. Because one must ask, was not it in the interest of keeping the public safe that Tyre Nichols would be with us here today?

[APPLAUSE]

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. So I'll just close by saying this, I was a Senator, as a United States Senator, a co-author of the original George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and as vice president of the United States we demand to that Congress pass the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act. Joe Biden will sign it. And we should not delay, and we will not be denied, it is non-negotiable.