The funeral service is well under way now, but here are some images from a littler earlier showing friends and family of Tyre Nichols arriving at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Tyre Nichols' mother and stepfather arriving at the churchImage caption: Tyre Nichols' mother and stepfather arriving at the church
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Flowers being delivered to the church before the serviceImage caption: Flowers being delivered to the church before the service
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Rev. Dr. Keith Norman speaks at the funeralImage caption: Rev. Dr. Keith Norman speaks at the funeral
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Tyre Nichols' mother sits in a pewImage caption: Tyre Nichols' mother sits in a pew
Reverend pays tribute to 'long-lived lives of black and brown men'
We're hearing from Rev Dr Rosalyn Nichols now.
Her prayer of comfort has been a mix of words and song. She says Tyre was his family's son - and now he's "all our son".
She says the congregation "holds his passion before us as we work to see his love for sunsets and photography and skating manifest... in the long-lived lives of black and brown men".
These are parts of Nichols' personality we've heard lots about since he died.
The reverend ends by saying work must be done to ensure the lives of "all" are equal.
Tyre Nichols was an avid skateboarder
One of the images just displayed at the service showed Tyre Nichols doing one of the things he loved best - skateboarding. According to his mother, the 29-year-old regularly practised tricks at Shelby Farms Park on the eastern outskirts of Memphis. He also loved photography and sunsets.
Nichols worked at FedEx with his stepfather Rodney Wells, who recalled giving his stepson some advice.“You've got to put that skateboard down, you've got a full-time job now,” Wells said.
“He looked at me like,‘Yeah right,’ because that was his passion.”
"Today as we celebrate Tyre's life and comfort this family we serve notice to this nation that the rerun of this episode that makes Black Lives hashtags will not be renewed."
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Tyre and his mother pose together in a photoImage caption: Tyre and his mother pose together in a photo
Reverend remembers Nichols as a 'good person'
Cameras inside the church where Tyre Nichols' funeral is being held have begun sharing the first proceedings of the service.
The Mississippi Blvd Celebration Choir just finished their first anthem as dozens of mourners filed into the church.
Senior pastor Rev J Lawrence Turner is now talking to mourners, remembering Nichols as a "good person". He was "a father, a son, a friend, a human being," Turner says.
But he was "denied the right to see the sunset another day" when he was killed, Turner adds.
BBCCopyright: BBC
The funeral has begun
You can watch the live stream of the funeral by clicking play at the top of the page.
Kamala Harris arrives in Memphis
CBSCopyright: CBS
US Vice-President Kamala Harris has arrived in Memphis for the funeral.
How to watch the funeral
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
The funeral of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, who was beaten by five police officers and later died, will begin in 10 minutes. It was originally scheduled to start this morning, but due to inclement weather it was pushed back a few hours.
Around 2,500 people are expected to gather at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church.
You will be able to stream the funeral live at the top of the page.
Tyre's family arrive at the church
Roderick Macleod
BBC News, Memphis
BBCCopyright: BBC
Members of Tyre Nichols' family have just arrived at the church for his funeral.
The service is expected to start in 20 minutes at 13:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
You will be able to stream live at the top of the page.
Is police reform possible in America?
Chelsea Bailey
BBC News, Washington
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi at a police reform event in 2020Image caption: Former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi at a police reform event in 2020
The death of Tyre Nichols has reignited calls for meaningful police reform in the United States. But what would “reform” look like?
Some US lawmakers think they’ve found the answer. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police, they've proposed the“George Floyd Justice in Policing Act”, a bill that would implement a range of reforms aimed at making police departments and officers more accountable for their actions.
The bill would do a range of things including:
Change the legal standard to convict a police officer of misconduct charges in federal court
Limit ‘qualified immunity’ in civil cases. Currently, police officers and government officials are shielded from liability from constitutional rights violations because they have what is known as “qualified immunity.” The bill would lower that standard in civil cases
Restrict use of tactics like no-knock warrants and chokeholds
Create a national registry of police officer misconduct
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act was first proposed in 2021 but never passed. In the wake of Tyre Nichols' death, President Joe Biden has once again called on Congress to pass the bill. But many experts feel its chances of becoming a law are dim given that Congress is divided between Democrats and Republicans.
What the arrest video shows
Warning: This footage contains disturbing scenes and graphic violence.
Video content
Video caption: Police kick and punch Tyre Nichols during the violent arrest in MemphisPolice kick and punch Tyre Nichols during the violent arrest in Memphis
Today, mourners gather to celebrate the life of Tyre Nichols, who was brutally beaten by police officers, and died three days later in hospital.
Memphis police released video of Nichols' traffic stop last week, warning of graphic and shocking content.
The footage, spread over four separate videos, came from officers’ body cameras and a nearby pole camera:
The first clip shows the initial traffic stop that led to Nichols' death. Officers yell profanities and threats, and order him out of his car. A scuffle ensues, and Nichols attempts to flee as one officer fires a Taser
The following videos show officers repeatedly striking Nichols, kicking him and hitting him with an expandable baton
In two of the videos, Nichols calls out for his mother
After Nichols is subdued, a video shows him lying unaided against a car while officers discuss what happened
Some officers claim Nichols “swung” at them or reached for their guns, allegations which the released videos do not support, leaving some questions unanswered.
Mourners arrive for funeral
Sarah Smith
North America editor, reporting from Memphis
Mourners have started arriving for the funeral of Tyre Nichols.
Outside the church I met Reverend Eric Terrell, 67, who says he travelled in very icy conditions from Atlanta (six hours away by car) to attend the funeral.
With him is Jermaine Carroll, Malita Tyre, and her 5-year-old granddaughter.
They said it was very important to show support for the Nichols family at this time. Carroll also hoped the event would show the love the black community shares.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Funeral coincides with first day of Black History Month
While Memphis prepares to remember Tyre Nichols at his funeral later, it is also the first day of Black History Month in the US.
Earlier today, Reverend Al Sharpton visited the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis where Dr Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. He will eulogise Tyre Nichols later and tweeted "there must be greater value of Black lives in this country".
Black History Month is an annual celebration to commemorate and honour achievements of black Americans.
In 1976, the nation's bicentennial, it was expanded from one week to one month.
The theme for this year's Black History Month is black resistance - exploring how black communities have pushed back against historical oppression.
Who's been charged and sacked over Nichols' death?
The five officers filmed arresting and beating Tyre Nichols have all been fired and charged with second degree murder.
But the number of officials to lose their jobs over the failings that led to Nichols' death is growing. Here's what we know so far.
The five officers charged are... Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith.
They've all been charged with... second degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.
On Monday... two more police officers were suspended by the Memphis Police Department for their involvement with Nichols’ death - Preston Hemphill and an unnamed officer.
At the same time... three emergency workers were also fired for not providing adequate care to Nichols at the scene. They are Robert Long, JaMichael Sandridge and Lt Michelle Whitaker
MPDCopyright: MPD
Five officers charged, from left: Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III, Justin Smith and Tadarrius BeanImage caption: Five officers charged, from left: Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III, Justin Smith and Tadarrius Bean
Thousands of mourners expected to fill the church
BBCCopyright: BBC
Memphis' Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church is expected to be at capacity later today, when some 2,500 mourners fill the church to celebrate the life of Tyre Nichols.
Senior pastor Rev J Lawrence Turner told a local Memphis outlet there would be security to organise the event and control crowds.
“Our staff and a committed team of volunteers are working together in co-ordination with the team from [the Nichols family lawyer Ben] Crump firm and the National Action Network to accommodate everyone who is coming to celebrate Tyre Nichols' life,” Turner says.
Family members of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor - two other black people whose deaths at the hands of police galvanised the Black Lives Matter movement - are also expected to attend, as is US Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Family gathered at same church where MLK gave last speech
Sarah Smith
North America editor, reporting from Memphis
Last night the family of Tyre Nichols appeared at an event in the Mason Temple Church in
Memphis.
His
brother, Jamal Dupree, described how much he will miss Tyre. Nichols’
stepfather Rodney Wells asked the assembled activists to keep fighting for
justice for his son and his family.
The Reverend Al
Sharpton spoke and said that what happened to Tyre was a disgrace to America. He will be giving the eulogy at the funeral today.
The event
was particularly poignant as it took place in the church where Dr Martin
Luther King gave his last speech 55 years ago, in which he declared: “I
have been to the mountaintop”. He was assassinated the next morning.
“The need
for justice has brought us here again," said Bishop J Drew Sherad, who promised Nichols' parents that the community would stand with them to help demand and
ensure there was justice for their son.
Rev
Sharpton said it was fitting to bring the family to what he called “this
sacred ground” the night before Nichols’ funeral.
After the
event I asked him if he really thinks Tyre's death will bring
about the changes to the law he is seeking.
“We will try to make change happen. Change doesn't
come. It doesn’t just drop out the sky. It comes from the ground up and we've got to
keep fighting,” he told
me.
BBCCopyright: BBC
The Nichols' family and Reverend Al Sharpton spoke last night at the Mason Temple Church in MemphisImage caption: The Nichols' family and Reverend Al Sharpton spoke last night at the Mason Temple Church in Memphis
What happened to Tyre Nichols?
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
The death of Tyre Nichols has shocked the US, with the public release last week of body camera footage from the violent incident making headlines around the world. But what exactly happened to him?
Nichols was pulled over by police on 7 January. Footage from the incident shows officers beating the 29-year-old black motorist severely during the traffic stop. He died three days later.
Memphis police say the officers pulled Nichols over for reckless driving. Two “confrontations" followed:
The first occurred during the initial stop. Videos show officers dragging Nichols from his car and using a Taser on him as he attempts to flee.
The second happened when officers caught Nichols. Police officers kick and punch him multiple times during the altercation, and Nichols is heard saying “I’m just trying to go home” before calling out for his mother.
Nichols complained of shortness of breath after his arrest, police say, and was taken to hospital. An official cause of death has not yet been disclosed, though family lawyers say an autopsy confirms the severity of Nichols’ beating.
What to expect today
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Hello and thanks for joining us as we prepare for the funeral of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old who died last month after being beaten by five police officers in Memphis, Tennessee.
Around 2,500 people are expected to attend the funeral later today at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church.
Due to inclement weather, the service has been delayed by a few hours. It is now due to begin at 13:00 local time (19:00 GMT). Our coverage will begin at 11:00 local time (17:00 GMT), when the doors open.
Among the attendees are US Vice-President Kamala Harris and the family of George Floyd, another black man killed by police officers, whose death sparked the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy, and the Nichols family lawyer, Ben Crump, is giving a call-to-action after footage of the arrest sparked renewed anger and concern about police brutality in the US.
We will stream the funeral live at the top of this page.
Live Reporting
Edited by Jude Sheerin and Sarah Fowler
All times stated are UK
First images from Tyre Nichols' funeral
The funeral service is well under way now, but here are some images from a littler earlier showing friends and family of Tyre Nichols arriving at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church.
Reverend pays tribute to 'long-lived lives of black and brown men'
We're hearing from Rev Dr Rosalyn Nichols now.
Her prayer of comfort has been a mix of words and song. She says Tyre was his family's son - and now he's "all our son".
She says the congregation "holds his passion before us as we work to see his love for sunsets and photography and skating manifest... in the long-lived lives of black and brown men".
These are parts of Nichols' personality we've heard lots about since he died.
The reverend ends by saying work must be done to ensure the lives of "all" are equal.
Tyre Nichols was an avid skateboarder
One of the images just displayed at the service showed Tyre Nichols doing one of the things he loved best - skateboarding. According to his mother, the 29-year-old regularly practised tricks at Shelby Farms Park on the eastern outskirts of Memphis. He also loved photography and sunsets.
Nichols worked at FedEx with his stepfather Rodney Wells, who recalled giving his stepson some advice.“You've got to put that skateboard down, you've got a full-time job now,” Wells said.
“He looked at me like,‘Yeah right,’ because that was his passion.”
Read more: Tyre Nichols: Family remembers 'a beautiful soul'
Bible readings begin in church
Reverends are now reading from the Bible. They’re on stage in a large church, with the Memphis Boulevard Celebration Choir on stage behind them.
There’s hundreds of people there, but the church isn’t full. The bad weather in Memphis today might have kept people away.
Rev Dr Rosalyn Nichols sings in parts of her reading.
As the Bible readings are made, more images of Tyre and his family are shown on the stream.
Images of Nichols displayed in church
Photos of Tyre Nichols as a child, teenager and smiling young man are shown. In several of them, he is on his skateboard or taking selfies.
"Memphis demands justice. Our nation demands justice," Reverend Turner tells the congregation.
"Today as we celebrate Tyre's life and comfort this family we serve notice to this nation that the rerun of this episode that makes Black Lives hashtags will not be renewed."
Reverend remembers Nichols as a 'good person'
Cameras inside the church where Tyre Nichols' funeral is being held have begun sharing the first proceedings of the service.
The Mississippi Blvd Celebration Choir just finished their first anthem as dozens of mourners filed into the church.
Senior pastor Rev J Lawrence Turner is now talking to mourners, remembering Nichols as a "good person". He was "a father, a son, a friend, a human being," Turner says.
But he was "denied the right to see the sunset another day" when he was killed, Turner adds.
The funeral has begun
You can watch the live stream of the funeral by clicking play at the top of the page.
Kamala Harris arrives in Memphis
US Vice-President Kamala Harris has arrived in Memphis for the funeral.
How to watch the funeral
The funeral of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, who was beaten by five police officers and later died, will begin in 10 minutes. It was originally scheduled to start this morning, but due to inclement weather it was pushed back a few hours.
Around 2,500 people are expected to gather at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church.
You will be able to stream the funeral live at the top of the page.
Tyre's family arrive at the church
Roderick Macleod
BBC News, Memphis
Members of Tyre Nichols' family have just arrived at the church for his funeral.
The service is expected to start in 20 minutes at 13:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
You will be able to stream live at the top of the page.
Is police reform possible in America?
Chelsea Bailey
BBC News, Washington
The death of Tyre Nichols has reignited calls for meaningful police reform in the United States. But what would “reform” look like?
Some US lawmakers think they’ve found the answer. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police, they've proposed the“George Floyd Justice in Policing Act”, a bill that would implement a range of reforms aimed at making police departments and officers more accountable for their actions.
The bill would do a range of things including:
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act was first proposed in 2021 but never passed. In the wake of Tyre Nichols' death, President Joe Biden has once again called on Congress to pass the bill. But many experts feel its chances of becoming a law are dim given that Congress is divided between Democrats and Republicans.
What the arrest video shows
Warning: This footage contains disturbing scenes and graphic violence.
Video content
Today, mourners gather to celebrate the life of Tyre Nichols, who was brutally beaten by police officers, and died three days later in hospital.
Memphis police released video of Nichols' traffic stop last week, warning of graphic and shocking content.
The footage, spread over four separate videos, came from officers’ body cameras and a nearby pole camera:
Some officers claim Nichols “swung” at them or reached for their guns, allegations which the released videos do not support, leaving some questions unanswered.
Mourners arrive for funeral
Sarah Smith
North America editor, reporting from Memphis
Mourners have started arriving for the funeral of Tyre Nichols.
Outside the church I met Reverend Eric Terrell, 67, who says he travelled in very icy conditions from Atlanta (six hours away by car) to attend the funeral.
With him is Jermaine Carroll, Malita Tyre, and her 5-year-old granddaughter.
They said it was very important to show support for the Nichols family at this time. Carroll also hoped the event would show the love the black community shares.
Funeral coincides with first day of Black History Month
While Memphis prepares to remember Tyre Nichols at his funeral later, it is also the first day of Black History Month in the US.
Earlier today, Reverend Al Sharpton visited the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis where Dr Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. He will eulogise Tyre Nichols later and tweeted "there must be greater value of Black lives in this country".
Black History Month is an annual celebration to commemorate and honour achievements of black Americans.
In 1976, the nation's bicentennial, it was expanded from one week to one month.
The theme for this year's Black History Month is black resistance - exploring how black communities have pushed back against historical oppression.
Who's been charged and sacked over Nichols' death?
The five officers filmed arresting and beating Tyre Nichols have all been fired and charged with second degree murder.
But the number of officials to lose their jobs over the failings that led to Nichols' death is growing. Here's what we know so far.
The five officers charged are... Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith.
They've all been charged with... second degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.
On Monday... two more police officers were suspended by the Memphis Police Department for their involvement with Nichols’ death - Preston Hemphill and an unnamed officer.
At the same time... three emergency workers were also fired for not providing adequate care to Nichols at the scene. They are Robert Long, JaMichael Sandridge and Lt Michelle Whitaker
Thousands of mourners expected to fill the church
Memphis' Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church is expected to be at capacity later today, when some 2,500 mourners fill the church to celebrate the life of Tyre Nichols.
Senior pastor Rev J Lawrence Turner told a local Memphis outlet there would be security to organise the event and control crowds.
“Our staff and a committed team of volunteers are working together in co-ordination with the team from [the Nichols family lawyer Ben] Crump firm and the National Action Network to accommodate everyone who is coming to celebrate Tyre Nichols' life,” Turner says.
Family members of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor - two other black people whose deaths at the hands of police galvanised the Black Lives Matter movement - are also expected to attend, as is US Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Family gathered at same church where MLK gave last speech
Sarah Smith
North America editor, reporting from Memphis
Last night the family of Tyre Nichols appeared at an event in the Mason Temple Church in Memphis.
His brother, Jamal Dupree, described how much he will miss Tyre. Nichols’ stepfather Rodney Wells asked the assembled activists to keep fighting for justice for his son and his family.
The Reverend Al Sharpton spoke and said that what happened to Tyre was a disgrace to America. He will be giving the eulogy at the funeral today.
The event was particularly poignant as it took place in the church where Dr Martin Luther King gave his last speech 55 years ago, in which he declared: “I have been to the mountaintop”. He was assassinated the next morning.
“The need for justice has brought us here again," said Bishop J Drew Sherad, who promised Nichols' parents that the community would stand with them to help demand and ensure there was justice for their son.
Rev Sharpton said it was fitting to bring the family to what he called “this sacred ground” the night before Nichols’ funeral.
After the event I asked him if he really thinks Tyre's death will bring about the changes to the law he is seeking.
“We will try to make change happen. Change doesn't come. It doesn’t just drop out the sky. It comes from the ground up and we've got to keep fighting,” he told me.
What happened to Tyre Nichols?
The death of Tyre Nichols has shocked the US, with the public release last week of body camera footage from the violent incident making headlines around the world. But what exactly happened to him?
Nichols was pulled over by police on 7 January. Footage from the incident shows officers beating the 29-year-old black motorist severely during the traffic stop. He died three days later.
Memphis police say the officers pulled Nichols over for reckless driving. Two “confrontations" followed:
The first occurred during the initial stop. Videos show officers dragging Nichols from his car and using a Taser on him as he attempts to flee.
The second happened when officers caught Nichols. Police officers kick and punch him multiple times during the altercation, and Nichols is heard saying “I’m just trying to go home” before calling out for his mother.
Nichols complained of shortness of breath after his arrest, police say, and was taken to hospital. An official cause of death has not yet been disclosed, though family lawyers say an autopsy confirms the severity of Nichols’ beating.
What to expect today
Hello and thanks for joining us as we prepare for the funeral of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old who died last month after being beaten by five police officers in Memphis, Tennessee.
Around 2,500 people are expected to attend the funeral later today at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church.
Due to inclement weather, the service has been delayed by a few hours. It is now due to begin at 13:00 local time (19:00 GMT). Our coverage will begin at 11:00 local time (17:00 GMT), when the doors open.
Among the attendees are US Vice-President Kamala Harris and the family of George Floyd, another black man killed by police officers, whose death sparked the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy, and the Nichols family lawyer, Ben Crump, is giving a call-to-action after footage of the arrest sparked renewed anger and concern about police brutality in the US.
We will stream the funeral live at the top of this page.