Days after five former police officers were charged for the murder of Tyre Nichols, his family, friends, and supporters came together to honor him at his funeral. Among them was Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris joined Nichols's family for the service, which took place Wednesday at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis. While there, she took the stand to voice her sadness over the 29-year-old's passing and offered words of support for his loved ones.

"We are here to celebrate the life of Tyre Nichols," she said.

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Addressing his parents, Rodney and RowVaughn Wells, she added, "We mourn with you."

memphis, tn february 01 a screen at the entrance of mississippi boulevard christian church displays the celebration of life for tyre nichols on february 1, 2023 in memphis, tennessee on january 7th, 29 year old nichols was violently beaten for three minutes by memphis police officers at a traffic stop and died of his injuries five black memphis police officers have been fired after an internal investigation found them to be directly responsible for the beating and have been charged with second degree murder, aggravated assault, two charges of aggravated kidnapping, two charges of official misconduct and one charge of official oppression photo by lucy garrettgetty images
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On January 7, Nichols was pulled over for a traffic stop by a group of Memphis Police officers. At some point during the stop, five officers came together to attack Nichols, initially citing an altercation. Shocking footage released last week shows the horrific incident, in which the officers (who've now been fired from the force and charged with second-degree murder) brutally beat the young Black man for three minutes; he was eventually transported to the hospital in critical condition. He died of his injuries three days later.

The former officers have also been charged with aggravated assault, two charges of aggravated kidnapping, two charges of official misconduct, and one charge of official oppression.

memphis, tn february 01 rodney wells speaks during the funeral service for his stepson tyre nichols at mississippi boulevard christian church on february 1, 2023 in memphis, tennessee on january 7th, 29 year old nichols was violently beaten for three minutes by memphis police officers at a traffic stop and died of his injuries five black memphis police officers have been fired after an internal investigation found them to be directly responsible for the beating and have been charged with second degree murder, aggravated assault, two charges of aggravated kidnapping, two charges of official misconduct and one charge of official oppression photo by andrew nelles poolgetty images
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Nichols's funeral service began with several musical performances and remarks from his siblings. Reverend Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist and Baptist minister, delivered a moving eulogy and called for justice and reform.

Harris, too, highlighted the need for change in the country—especially for Black Americans. The vice president called for the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which was introduced in 2020 and again in 2021.

"As vice president of the United States, we demand that Congress pass the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act," Harris said. "Joe Biden will sign it. And we should not delay, and we will not be denied. It is nonnegotiable."

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Also in her speech, Harris voiced her condolences for Nichols's parents and for the parents of other Black Americans who've died from police violence.

"Mothers around the world, when their babies are born, pray to God when they hold that child, that that body and that life will be safe for the rest of his life," she said. "Yet we have a mother and a father who mourn the life of a young man who should be here today."

placards are pictured outside of the mississippi boulevard christian church after the funeral for tyre nichols in memphis, tennessee, tennessee, on february 1, 2023 nichols, 29, was stopped on january 7, 2023, for what the memphis police department said was reckless driving after a chase ensued, police brutalized him to the point of being unrecognizable, family attorneys ben crump and antonio romanucci said in a statement nichols was taken to hospital in critical condition, according to police, where he died on january 10, 2023 photo by seth herald afp photo by seth heraldafp via getty images
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She added that the solution lies in police reform.

"One must ask: Was not it in the interest of keeping the public safe that Tyre Nichols would be with us here today? 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.

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Rosa Sanchez

Rosa Sanchez is the senior news editor at Harper's Bazaar, working on news as it relates to entertainment, fashion, and culture. Previously, she was a news editor at ABC News and, prior to that, a managing editor of celebrity news at American Media. She has also written features for Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, Forbes, and The Hollywood Reporter, among other outlets.