Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Memphis, Tenn., for the funeral of Tyre Nichols on Wednesday, the White House announced Tuesday.
The vice president was personally asked to attend by Nichols’ family after she spoke to the 29-year-old’s mother RowVaughn Wells and stepfather Rodney Wells by phone earlier Tuesday, the Grio reported.
Ben Crump, the lawyer representing the Nichols family, told the publication that Harris consoled the mother.
“We’re pleased that she accepted their invitation,” he said. “Mr. And Mrs. Wells are grateful for the vice president reaching out to them during this heartbreaking time and her sensitivity on the call.”
Accompanying Harris to Memphis will be Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor and current White House director of public engagement, and senior adviser Mitch Landrieu, the report said.
Nichols died three days after he was beaten by Memphis police officers following a routine traffic stop on Jan. 7.
Video of the deadly encounter, which shows a brutal attack by five black officers on Nichols, who was also black, was released Friday night by the Memphis Police Department.
The officers — Tadarrius Bean, 24, Demetrius Haley, 30, Emmitt Martin III, 30, Desmond Mills Jr., 32, and Justin Smith, 28 — were fired on Jan. 20 after an internal investigation found they had used excessive force and failed in their duties to intervene and render aid.
They were hit with second-degree murder charges days later.
Two other police officers have since been suspended as the investigation into Nichols’ death continues.
