>> it is almost unimaginable heartbreak for the members of the capitol police force, some of who you have been looking at live, as one of their own, an 18-year veteran of the u.s. capitol police officer billy evans is brought into the capitol rotunda, where he will lie in honor. in just a moment, we expect to hear from president biden, from house speaker pelosi and others honoring the life and the service of officer evans. we're going to stay in this live, but i want to hand it over to my colleague jeff bennett who will pick up our coverage now. jeff? >> good tuesday morning to you. i'm jeff bennett in for craig melvin. we are having our eyes right now on the capitol rotunda, where fallen capitol police officer

william evans is set to lie in honor. and any minute now, as hallie just mentioned, president biden, house speaker nancy pelosi and senate majority leader chuck schumer will all honor his bravery and service. officer evans lost his life on april 2nd after a car-ramming attack at the u.s. capitol. he was an 18-year veteran of the capitol police force. and he leaves behind two young children. frankly, it has been an unimaginably tough year for the capitol police force. so far this year, capitol police have lost three colleagues, dozens more were assaulted, of course, during that january insurrection. today, though, is about honoring the life of william evans. our team is standing by with me, as we watch this congressional tribute ceremony get underway for officer evans. nbc's garrett haake is on capitol hill. nbc's mike memoli is covering the white house. i also want to bring in former seattle police chief, carmen best. she's now an msnbc law enforcement analyst. and garrett, we'll start with

you, this is another heart-wrenching day on capitol hill, compounded by the fact that this is now the second such ceremony this year following the death of officer brian sicknick in the capitol insurrection. how is this resonating with folks? how are people holding up there on the hill? >> reporter: this is a scene that has become too familiar. only six americans have lied in honor under the rotunda, two of them capitol police officers this year. in this case, the death of officer evans happened when the capitol hill community was scattered across the country. both the house and senate were in recess on the day that he was killed. people didn't experience the same collective trauma here in place on that day. and they're processing this, i think, differently, but now you'll have this opportunity for collective mourning here, as folks are now back "today." we just saw the president's motorcade arrive. he's working his way up into the rotunda. i think the remarks from him will be very important as

someone who would have been here as a senator at the same time that officer evans was serving here in his 18-year career. and also that language of grief that he speaks so fluently i think will be important. and you mentioned the capitol police officers who have been through so much in this past year. they are exhausted. they have through an insurrection. they are trying to work with diminished numbers and diminished morale in a very difficult time where their workplace has become an assignment that is not at all like it was perhaps when many of them arrived here. so i think this will be a very important day for the sort of collective mourning and grief and catharsis for the greater capitol hill community, but especially for those capitol police officers. and of course, for the family of officer evans. i think we all saw his children holding those stuffed animals so tightly, as his remains were brought up the steps of the capitol. just a powerful, incredibly sad moment, jeff. >> yeah, absolutely.

and mike, garrett mentioned that the president's motorcade is making his way to the capitol. we expect him to deliver remarks. president biden will, of course, once again fill that role of comforter in chief, as garrett mentioned. he speaks the language of grief so fluently, so eloquently. and this is also personal for him. he was a senator for some 40 years. he knows the unique role that capitol police play. what do you expect him to say when he delivers remarks, mike? >> that's right, jeff. having covered joe biden for as long as i've had, it's always worth watching when he is called on in these moments to call upon his own reservoir of grief and empathy, in order to share it with those who are experiencing the same kind of loss that he has in his life. we've seen it already as president -- we think even as president-elect on the eve of his inauguration commemorating the loss of those to covid-19, but especially in this moment, joe biden is somebody who has very closely associated himself

over the course of his career with law enforcement. i'm not sure if he knew officer evans, but think about joe biden as somebody who rode amtrak and developed relationships with all the conductors. so, if he didn't know this officer directly, he will probably say something to the effect of, but i know people like him. and that is something that he is -- one of the eulogies i've seen him deliver that was most memorable to me was actually in memoriam for two new york city police officers who were assassinated in the line of duty in 2014. so we expect his remarks to be fairly brief. five to ten minutes here today. but expect him to both reflect on the loss of the family here, the evans family, especially his young children. it will be interesting to see how he interacts with them. but also to reflect on the toll

this past few months has taken on the capitol hill police force more broadly. kristen welker reports that he won't necessarily directly recall january 6th, an important date, of course, driving some of the fatigue on the capitol hill, the sense of, you know, real emotion that has been pervading since those events. but he will speak to that larger feeling on capitol hill. and call upon the sacrifice that so many of these officers continue to make. and it's also interesting to note, jeff, this moment in which there is a real tension between, you know, law enforcement and those that they're sworn to serve, i don't know that necessarily he'll reflect on that today, but this is certainly something that is in all of our minds as we watch this today. >> and chief best, we should say, for folks who aren't familiar with your background,

you rose through the ranks of the seattle police department a 30-year career before you became chief. the capitol police departments, it's a close-knit group. they are right now understaffed, seriously understaffed. you have folks who are working 12 to 16 hours shifts. give us a sense of the compound impact of that and just the loss after loss, this police force has experienced over the last three months, alone. >> the last three months definitely have been difficult for the entire capitol police department. i imagine right now, the incredible sadness of the tragedy of yet another officer killed in the line of duty, in such a short time, that coupled with the fact that the officers are working long shifts and long hours. that the organization has been in the spotlight and not in a good way for all of the issues that happened on january 6th and previous to that. it's a very difficult time. for not only the capitol police,

but for policing in general across the country. people are lasered focused on all that's happening and all the history. but at the same time, we have to recognize that there are so many thousands of officers who serve honorably. who in many cases are injured, and in this case, have given their life in the line of duty. they deserve this recognition and this acknowledgement of that. and it's really important that we reflect and remember that, as well. even as we're in the midst of change and even as we're in the midst of unprecedented focus on policing, we do want to recognize and pay honor to those who really selflessly sacrifice day in and day out. it is still a very honorable profession, even with the challenges that we face. >> and as we keep our eye on the capitol rotunda, garrett, i want to come back to you and ask, what more can lawmakers do to help the capitol police who are charged with protecting those

lawmakers. >> well, quite a bit. and so far, they've done very little. there's been discussion about appropriating a supplemental spending bill, in everything from hiring those additional officers that are so necessary to building out the fencing structure around the capitol. there's been a lot of discussion about what kind of fence, bit more temporary or permanent might be appropriate. everything from hiring more intelligence officers, more k-9 units, updating the equipment. the capitol police need that unfusion of money, they have argued, and lawmakers say it is coming. but for now, so much of the kind of political fallout, the necessary logistical changes to be made to the capitol police and to the sort of defensive posture around the capitol has been hung up after january 6th because of politics. there was that review that was conducted by retired lieutenant general russel honore. so far, none of those recommendations have been acted upon. and there was a desire particularly by the speaker of the house, to create a 9/11-style commission to study those events and perhaps produce

even more emotions, that's also been held up by politics. so the immediate needs as presented to the capitol police after january 6th and of course after officer evans' death have not been proactively dealt with by this congress. >> and garrett, as you've been speaking, we saw walk into the rotunda, the house speaker leadership, mcconnell, schumer, palos, and president biden is there as well. there are two seats saved in the front row for officer evans' two young kid, logan and abigail. i believe the ceremony is about to start. i want to come back to you, garrett, and let's listen in.

>> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the invocation, delivered by house chaplain. >> would you pray with me? eternal god, descend from yours because this hallowed hall is stained by our tears, its luster dulled by our grief. this sorrow has scarred our souls with anger, confusion, fear, and deep sadness. be among in this moment, for we have lost a son, a father, a friend, and a partner, officer william, billy evans. and we need the strength of junior ever-lasting arms, and the comfort of your holy spirit to abide with us in our grief.

we pray that you would speak into our pain, allow us to hear your tender voice in the words spoken, the tributes offered and the prayers lifted in billy's honor. soothe our sorrow with the indelible memories of good times shared with him, evidence of the blessings of a life well lived and well loved. shine your light into the gloom of death's shadow. may it shed courage and consolation upon officer evans' mother, janice, his children, logan and abigail. and their mother, shannon. in the sure and certain hope of the eternity that you have promised. we commend then, this service to your will, and your servant, william, to your keeping. your strong and holy name, we pray.

amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. ladies and gentlemen, the honorable charles e. schumer, majority leader of the united states senate. >> to the family, my colleagues, members of our great capitol police force, capitol police officers are approached by hundreds of lost tourists a day. if you are one of the lucky ones, you would bump into officer billy evans. excuse me, they'd say. can i ask a question?

billy would flash his white smile, eyes full of mirth and say, but your already did. to know billy evans was to know, to borrow from shakespeare, a fellow of infinite jest. his childhood friends will tell you that billy capitalized, literally on every opportunity for a joke. his college crew, as he called them, would add that he could be a prankster. his bowling crew and his band crew would say just the same. and billy was a man of many crews. the guy who you would ask to sit shotgun on a along road trip, the one you would want to be stationed with on a lazy summer day at the north barricade. the first pick for an mpb afternoon of legos and light saber duels. of course, not all of billy's jokes were winners. he had his share of bad dad jokes. some were just random.

if a fellow officer asked billy what he was up to, he would be liable to reply, just thinking about my ideal weight if i was 8 feet tall. a fellow of infinite jest, who wrung joy and laughter out of life's smallest moments. returning to that lost tourist for a moment, ask, officer evans wouldn't leave the poor guy hanging. now let me ask you a question, he'd say. how can i help? summing up his life's mission in those four simple words. how can i help? how can i help my country? join the capitol police force? how can i help my colleagues? volunteer to join the first responder's unit. and on an unseasonably cold day in early april, that innate impulse to ask how can i help

had billy running towards danger. a reflex as natural and as automatic as breath, to put the safety and happiness of others before his own. we were all shocked by the senselessness of this loss, to his sister, julie, his mother, janice, who i was able to speak with last week. to shannon, my heart breaks for you, it does. to billy piece beloved children, logan, abigail, i want you to know that we are forever indebted to your dad. we will remember his sacrifice and your sacrifice forever. >> and to billy's friends on the capitol police force, these past few months have been

devastating. just as the scars of january 6th had begun to heal, another wound had opened. i say to you now, our dear capitol police force who protect us. there is no name in grief and sorrow and shock. we grieve with you. we feel that shock and sorrow with you. and we will heal together with you. to everyone else gathered here, i have two things to ask you. first, if you see an officer today, be like billy and ask yourself. how can i help. be like billy and be a comfort to all who are lost, to all who continue to recover from wounds seen and unseen, in the wake of these tragedies.

and second, i would ask all of you to keep his memory alive. in the jewish faith, we say, may their memory be a blessing. a blessing is something we remember and share and speak aloud. those of you who remember billy need to speak his name, tell his stories, tell his jokes. even the bad ones. especially the bad ones, to keep his memory alive. to make sure his young children grow up remembering him as the loving father he was. today, we are hollow with loss. but one day, billy's memory will feel like a blessing. if through all of life's tragedies, billy could search

every moment for that spark of joy, so can we. rest in peace, william. may your memory be a blessing. >> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable nancy pelosi, speaker of the united states house of representatives. >> mr. president, members of billy's family, including members of the capitol police who are here, it is my official and sad honor to welcome you, as well as billy's many friends,

colleagues, and loved ones, to the capitol, to honor his life. this observance is evaluated by the presence of members of the capitol police, leaders from the district of columbia, including mayor bowser, and the metropolitan police department and we thank you for your service. members of the administration, the attorney general, the chairman of the joint chiefs, and the president of the united states. we all acknowledge officer evans' capitol police family and thank them every chance we get. and we include in that recognition, officer kendis shaver, an american hero. we acknowledge christina. we thank officer craig atkinson for his heroism, here with his

wife, mary julia. that the officers with whom billy served at the north barricade were sitting among his family today is a testament to the special bond billy had with that force. most importantly, we are blessed to be with officer evans' family, his mother, janice, his children, logan and abigail and their mother, shannon, and sister, julia. thank you for giving congress the honor of paying tribute to billy evans' today. officer evans joins a pantheon of heroes, who have given their lives to defend this capitol, including on january 6th. brian sicknick, howard leavengood, jeffrey smith. also, christopher eny, clinton holtz, jacob chestnut, and john

gibson some years ago. as we promise to remember, we carry them in our hearts forever. twice in two months have many of us been brought together here in the capitol rotunda, united in grief to mourn the life and loss of heroes in uniform. just months after the january 6th assault on our democracy, the men and women of the capitol police were again called to duty. on april 2nd, officer evans answered that call in giving his life to protect the capitol and our country. he became a martyr for our democracy. officer evans, a catholic, was killed on good friday, the saddest day of the year for many people's faith. his sacrifice recalls scripture,

greater love have no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. officer billy evans was a hero whose life was distinguished by dedication to our country, including 18 years on the capitol police force. he represented the best of public service, selflessness, sacrifice, and sheer courage in the face of the threat to our nation. when people spoke of officer evans, they said things like, he loved being a capitol police officer more than anyone could really say. and he carried the badge everywhere. he was just so proud. but what billy was most proud of was his family. his absolute devotion to his family was legendary. when i spoke to janice' mother following the tragedy, i asked

how she was doing and she said, my concern is for the children, for logan and abigail. i hope it is a comfort to logan and abigail, i see they have their cozies with them there, but i hope it is also a comfort to them that their father, an american hero is lying where abraham lincoln lay, on a catapault built for abraham lincoln. how billy loved sharing with them his love for sports, particularly boston sports. how he made each day an adventure, whether play fighting with light sabers as the leader mentioned, building cities of legos and enjoying the magic of harry potter series. everyone who knew billy knew

that he was a hero on the capitol police officer and in his family. and our hope is with this tribute that the american people too will know and remember the truth. logan and abigail, no words are adequate. we can only imagine your sadness. but we hope it's a comfort to you that so many now know about your dad and know that he is a hero. that his name will always be on our lips and his memory in our hearts. and that the president of the united states is picking up one of your distractions. the president of the united states looking after your toys. and that so many mourn your loss and pray for you, including the president of the united states. here today to offer words of tribute to billy.

we also hope that this tribute is a comfort to members of the capitol police officer, who have endured an horrific event and who have given their lives to defend the capitol and the country. we are moved by the courage, grace, and resilience with which each member of the force has met this moment and continues to serve our nation. thank you. my god bless the united states capitol police force and all who work to keep our nation safe. and may god bless america. thank you to the family of billy evans for giving us this honor to pay tribute to a true american hero. thank you.

>> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable joseph r. biden jr., president of the united states. >> madam speaker, majority leader schumer, minority leader mccarthy, my friend minority leader mcconnell, members of congress, chairman of the joint

chiefs, general milley, attorney general garland, mayor bowers, all the capitol hill police and all that are here to pay tribute to this capitol policeman who fell in the line of duty. acting chief pittman and the men and women of the capitol police force, i'm sorry. this is the second time in two months that you have such a ceremony. and you know, mom, i didn't know billy, but i knew billy. i grew up with billy's in scranton, pennsylvania. billy was always the kid if you got in a fight, outnumbered three to one, he'd still jump in knowing you'd both get beaten up. he was the one who always kept

his word. if he said he'd be there, he'd be there. he was the one who just like the folks i grew up, wasn't capable of saying "no" when you needed him. you know, just like you, officer kinney, who was injured in the attack with billy, and never has there been more strained -- and i've been here a long time. i've been here since 1972 as a u.s. senator, '73. so much strain and responsibility been placed on the shoulders of the capitol police. and yet you hear it, you see it,

you watch them, and you watch them do their duty with pure courage and not complain. you know, sergeant kyle king, i'm sorry you had to make the call, that telephone call, that every family dreads when they have a son or daughter, husband, wife, brother, sister in uniform. because every morning they pin that badge on, go to work, and they expect to come home and in the back of your minds, don't ever get that call. you knew billy since grade school. i think it was the fourth grade. and i've got to deal with all the guys i grew up with in

fourth grade. when one passes away, the other has to give up. they have too much information about you. too much to leave behind. but you know, i'm sure all of those memories from north adams in clarksburg never changed who billy was. he was defined by his dignity, his decency, his loyalty. and his courage. and mom, that's because of you and his dad. that's how it happened, not by accident. you have some idea what you're feeling like. i buried two of my children and people have come up to you and are going to come up to you for some time and say, i know you you feel.

they'll say that to sis, to the kids, say that to his former wife. and after a while, you know everybody means well. you feel like saying, you have no idea. but the truth is that a time's going to come, i promise you, not believable now, when a memory, a fragrance, a scene, a circumstance, the way his son tilts his head, the way he did when he was that age. it's going to bring back the memory. and for the longest time, it's going to feel like, at that moment, that memory is going to feel like you got the phone call

just that moment ago. and there are going to be people celebrating billy's life. and as much as you appreciate it, all of you, it also is hard to relive everything again. and you know, i got a phone call when i first got here and lost my family, part of my family, from a person i never knew, never met, former governor of new jersey, who was literally 45 years my senior. and he told me, he knew how i felt. and i didn't say anything. he said, i know what you're thinking. he said, but i did know. i used to come home, i was the

attorney general of new jersey before i was governor and i would come home for lunch because i lived just across the green from my office. and one day, a woman who helped out at our home came running across the green saying, she's gone, she's gone. his wife had had an aneurysm. he said, you know what i did? he said, i kept -- i kept -- i got graph paper and four months out, i put the month on it and a horizontal line, i put the date and the month. in the vertical line, i put the numbers one to ten. ten would be the happiest day of my life, and one would be like the moment i got the phone call. and he said -- and every night before i go to bed, i would graph it. i would put a dot on that day, where i was. and he said, don't look at it for three or four months.

but you'll look at it and you'll see, put it on a graph, the downs are just as far down, but they get further and further and further apart. that's how you know that you're going to make it. by holding each other together, most importantly, by holding logan and abigail as tightly as you can. and because as long as you have them, you've got billy. as long as you have them. you know, a prayer for all of you is that a day will come when you have that memory and you smile before it brings a tear to your eyes. i promise you it's going to come. it just takes a while. it takes a while.

but when it comes, you'll know, because, he's still with you. he's still in your heart. brother, mother, daughter, mom, dad, it's like losing a piece of your soul. it's very deep, but it comes back. there's a great call that was written, came back from iraq after a year and he died and they read this poem from r.g. ingersoll who said, when will defies fear and duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when

honor scorns compromise with death, this is heroism. your son, your husband, your brother, your dad was a hero. and he's part of you. it's in your blood. my prayer for you is that moment of a smile comes before the tear, quicker and longer. thank you.

ladies and gentlemen, the u.s. army corpsist quartet. ♪♪ ♪ when tears are in your eyes ♪ ♪ i'll dry them all ♪

♪ oh, when times get rough ♪ ♪ and friends just can't be found ♪ ♪ like a bridge over troubled water ♪ ♪ i will lay me down ♪ ♪ like a bridge over troubled water ♪ ♪ i will lay me down ♪ ♪ lay me down ♪♪

>> ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. ♪ amazing grace ♪ ♪ how sweet the sound ♪ ♪ that saved a wretch like me ♪

♪ i once was lost ♪ ♪ but now i'm found was blind but now i see ♪ ♪ 'twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relived ♪ ♪ how precious did that grace

appear the hour first believed ♪ ♪ for many dangers toils and snares i have already climbed ♪ ♪ 'tis grace have brought me

save the storm and grace will leave me warm ♪ ♪ when we've been there 10,000 years bright shining as the sun ♪ ♪ we have no less days to sing god's grace than when we first begun ♪

♪ amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me ♪ ♪ i once was lost but now i'm found was blind but now i see ♪

>> ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the benediction. >> let's pray. eternal god, we thank you for your amazing grace. as we face the painful, human reality of death we thank you in the midst of our grief for at

the courageous life and legacy of officer william evans. may his ultimate sacrifice inspire us to be more vigilant in protecting our freedoms. continue to comfort his precious family, continue to restore to health officer ken shaver. oh, lord, support us all the day long until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done.

then in your mercy grant us a holy rest and peace at last. we pray in your sovereign name, amen. ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats until escorted to pay your respects by the sergeants at arms staff.

we have been watching a tribute to officer william evans killed in the line of duty earlier this year, just 41 years old. he was remembered for his sense of humor, always somebody who wanted to help. that does it for me. we will have much more much the derek chauvin trial as well. i hand it over to andrea mitchell. >> this is andrea mitchell on a somber news day. you have been watching the solemn ceremony for the slain police officer william billy evans who is lying in honor at the capitol after being memorialized by president biden and speaker