we would like to thank - rowvaughn wells and rodney wells for their courage. _ rowvaughn wells and rodney face i individuals who took actions in the courtroom and face - individuals who took actions that they did — individuals who took actions that they did not _ individuals who took actions that they did not have _ individuals who took actions that they did not have to _ individuals who took actions that they did not have to take. - individuals who took actions that i they did not have to take. nothing that evening — they did not have to take. nothing that evening that _ they did not have to take. nothing that evening that we _ they did not have to take. nothing that evening that we saw, - they did not have to take. nothing that evening that we saw, and i they did not have to take. nothing| that evening that we saw, and that you saw. _ that evening that we saw, and that you saw. provoked _ that evening that we saw, and that you saw, provoked them _ that evening that we saw, and that you saw, provoked them to - that evening that we saw, and that you saw, provoked them to do i that evening

rowvaughn wells and rodney wells have borne such pain for us and they didn't want to speak but i just think that we need to just hear them say something. this is their son. this is their struggle and i know they're going to have weak days. let us be their strength. let us hear from the parents of tyre. [ applause ] >>> i'd like to start by saying thank you for everybody's support. this has been a journey. it's not going to end here. it's just a beginning. we're looking forward to passing some bills. we're looking forward to getting justice for all the families over there. [ applause ] not just ours. this is a continuous fight that we have to fight for. we have to fight for justice. we cannot continue to let these people brutalize our kids. [ applause ] to have my siblings up here, my wife and it's very hard for my wife, you know. this is her baby son and there's nothing like your baby boy. when we got the news, it was very, very difficult. it was surrounded by lies, deceit, trying to cover it up. but as they say what's done in the dark will always come to the light. [ applause ] and t

we just can't have that anymore. >> amen. >> yes, sir. >> rowvaughn wells, rodney wells, ben crump, allity, especially with you, mom, i can't imagine the pain that is on your heart, i don't think anyone can. the whole nation is with you. i've been telling people you have become america's mother. it's sad that under the circumstances that you had to become america's mother, but thank you for being so dignified, so graceful and we appreciate you and we're thinking about you. >> thank you so much, don. >> thank you, don. >> thank you. >> we will be back in a moment. . the subaru solterra electricic suv. subaru's first all-electricic, zero-emissions suv. (man) we've got some catching up to do. (woman) sure do. (vo) built to help you protect the environment as you explore it. love. it's what makes subaru, subaru. with unitedhealthcare my sister has a whole team to help her get the most out of her medicare plan. ♪wow, uh-huh♪ advantage: me! can't wait 'til i turn 65! take advantage with an aarp medicare advantage plan... only from unitedhealthcare. hi, susan. honey. yeah. i respect that. but

>> we want to thank miss rowvaughn wells for her courage, mr. rodney wells for his courage. it takes a lot to sit there in the courtroom and to face individuals who took actions that they did not have to take. nothing that evening that we saw, that you saw provoked them to do what they did to tyre nichols and here we have a family, we have a son that has lost a father and we just -- we feel their pain and we're going to be with them throughout the way. but let's also understand that this case is going to be a landmark decision, but it also needs to lead to policy. how do we stop this from happening again? the state needs to pass the tyre nichols police reform act. >> amen. >> we need the governor to sign the bill. the governor needs to stand up for this family. we want the thoughts, we want the prayers, we want action. we want this bill passed right now. the tyre nichols police reform act. we want them to withdraw the bill to get rid of cler, the citizen law enforcement review board is what we have, the citizens eyes over law enforcement. the police can't continue to police

. >> reporter: nichols' mother rowvaughn wells was inside the courtroom. >> i feel very numb right nowiting for somebody to wake me up. but i also know that is not going to happen. >> reporter: nichols died january 10th, 3 days after he was repeatedly kicked and punched by the officers, who were part of the now-disbanded scorpion street crime unit. defense attorneys believe still-unreleased video will show why their clients pleaded not guilty. >> we have a very long road of investigation and litigation ahead of us, and i implore the public to be patient. >> reporter: shelby county district attorney steve mulroy says there are an additional 20 hours of video that show other angles of what happened. >> this is an important case, and, you know, if we are going to hold police officers who violate the law accountable, then we need to make sure that we get the prosecution correct, we get it right. >> reporter: nichols' death sparked protests nationwide and renewed calls for stricter police reforms. >> so i don't think we can just unilaterally say we are going to do away with all types of spe

going to try to be in the next movie, but nobody has shown more strength and more dignity than rowvaughn wells rodney have born such pain for us. and they didn't want to speak but i just think that we need to just hear them say something. this is their son. this is their struggle. and i know they're going to have weak days. let us be their strength. let's hear from the parents of tyre. [ applause ]. >> i'd like to start by saying thank you for everybody's support. this has been a journey that's not going to end here. it's just the beginning. we're looking forward to passing some bills. we're looking forward to getting justice for all the families over there. not just ours. this is a continuous fight that we have to fight for. we have to fight for justice. we cannot continue to let these people brutalize our kids. to have my siblings up here, my wife, and it's very hard for my wife, you know, this is her baby son. and it's nothing like your baby boy. when we got the news, it was very very difficult. it was surrounded by lies, deceit, trying to cover >> and the light of day is justice for tyre.

. >> that was an emotional rowvaughn wells, mother of tyre nichols. in court this week. she has pledged to be at every court date until justice is served for her son. i spoke with her by phone before she went to court that morning. i was in tallahassee with the march, and i prayed with her and her husband, to give them strength as she looked at those responsible for the death of her son. fighting justice, whether it's police, whether it's civilians, wherever it is, and whoever it, whatever their race, even if it's your own. we must stand up and fight, and fight, we will. that is why we were in tallahassee, to say that we must protect black history and tell of the tragedies and the triumphs that we have gone through and keep going through. that is why this governor, desantis, and others must be confronted. but at the same time, those that we pay to protect and serve us must not become the law breakers. so, we must stand with the families of the nichols and the families at buffalo, and the families in michigan, and the students in florida, all at the sa

tyre nichols's mother, rowvaughn wells, spoke after the arraignment. >> i know my son is gone. i know i will never see him again. but we have to start this process of justice right now. i want everyone of those police officers to look me in the face and say they have not done that yet. amy: in northern mississippi, a man armed with a shotgun and two handguns went on a killing spree friday, fatally shooting his ex-wife, stepfather, stepsister, and three other people, before police finally arrested him. the massacre came in a small town south of memphis, tennessee, where on sunday one person was killed and ten others were wounded by gunfire at a nightclub and a nearby residence. meanwhile, police in columbus, georgia responded to calls of a shooting at a gas station on friday, where they found nine children injured with gunshot wounds. and in linden, new jersey, four family members are dead in an apparent murdesuicide. investigators believe the father fired on his wife and two teenage children on sunday before turning the gun on himself. according to the gun violence archive, the

parents on tuesday for my 30 minutes about nichol's tragic death and even got nichols mother rowvaughn wellslittle as she consoled her. we are expecting the family of george floyd today to offer their support. the floyd family who of course knows the pain of losing a loved one to the hands of police officers has offered their condolences to the family and will meet them for the first time here today. moving forward, both families will actually work together to push congress to pass the george floyd justice and policing act as president biden pushes republicans to help pass that piece of legislation. we will also hear an impassioned eulogy from the reverend al sharpton today who just last night next to nichols family called for justice and police accountability for nichols who was savagely beaten earlier this month by five now former memphis police officers charged with second-degree murder and other offenses in his death. that beating was caught on video and was released just last week for the world to see. we heard from nichols brothers just last night as well and he said the 29-year-old wa

. >> ♪ don't give up the fight ♪ [singing] reporter: laying her son to rest, rowvaughn wells said tyre' life was one of purpose . >> i promise you, the only thing that is keeping me going is the fact that i truly believe my son is sitting at the sight of god. [applause] and i guess now his assignment is done. reporter: a loving son, father, brother, fed ex employee, skateboarder and friend to all . nichols was the youngest of four siblings. his sister, keyana dixon. >> i see the world showing him love and fighting for justice. but all i want is my baby brother back. reporter: is funeral comes three weeks after his death, after a brutal beating by memphis police during a traffic stop. tyre nichols' death drew national attention and led vice president kamala harris to memphis today. >> and we mourn with you and the people of our country mourn with you. reporter: harris criticized the officers nichols, and said it is time for congress to pass a federal law to reform policing, "the george floyd justice in policing act." >> it was not in the interest of keeping the public safe, because one

through the morning, there is a sense of purpose, a sense of mission in that service including from rowvaughn wellst unforgettable line the profiteers for lot of our lines and said that my son was on assignment from god. >> you know, she was remarkable, i think people need to know that no one gave her those lines. she was not reading, this was from her heart, and she really believes that he was on assignment for god, and i think that is what strength of her to go through it. i don't care how much support you get form a mother or stepfather to bear the child and look at their four-year-old son every day, when all the cameras are gone, and she bought the human side as well as vice president harris coming in joining us saying, we've got to pass the legislation. as you said, we keep going to these funerals. it's to episode all, we wait in the next one, we rally, and we wait on the next one, and it's time for congress to stop this, and really upped the ante legally to say the police, you will be held accountable. >> what is your sense of that ref, what's your sense of change at the federal level. you di

>> i was looking at the face of rowvaughn and rodney wells -- the anguish campaign on her face, having to look about -- and i was thinking about my interview with her when she said just days after her son's death that she wanted action and legislation. she wanted congress to do something and she said the people in washington to do something to stop it. and i was thinking what you and i talked about, as anderson was talking, that this was the first time that i believe, as you said, that the top has been mentioned in the state of the union. that is something that is so personal and something that every black parent feels that they have to give to their children, especially black boys or black man. so, it was a moment. and the people who were there tonight, other mothers, of gwen carr, who is eric garner's mother, so that she was there for the same reason as rowvaughn wells. and she said that there were issues that affected all of us that the president was going to talk about tonight. there are issues that specifically affected us, many african americans, more than others. and he hoped th

his mother rowvaughn and stepfather rodney wells sitting in the first lady's box as guest of the whiteht along with you all in the chamber will be family members of others who died. the father of michael brown, george floyd's brother, eric garner's mother, william scott's brother. the list goes on and on. >> and on and on. we met those families earlier today. and it was heartbreaking to hear their stories. and just for all of these parents to be here, and their children were killed by the hands of those who are to protect us. that says a lot, doesn't it? i mean, something is wrong here. again, we don't see caucasian kids getting beat up by the police. we don't see videos of that happening. >> reporter: we were there as they arrived in the nation's capital today. their grief still so raw. burying their son just days ago, his beating by memphis police happening a month ago tonight. >> this is where it happened. this is where the laws are made. so we're going to make a new one. >> amen. >> reporter: the two today also meeting with the congressional black caucus. their attorney, ben crump,

the morning, there was a sense of purpose, a sense of mission in that service, including from rowvaughn wellsine that brought tears to our eyes and chills up the spine, saying, "my son was on assignment from god." >> she was remarkable. i think people need to know that no one gave her those lines. she wasn't reading. this was from her heart. she really believes that he was on an assignment from god. i think that's what strengthens her to go through it. i don't care how much support you get, for a mother and stepfather to bury their child and look at his 4-year-old son every day, they'll never get over that. when all of the cameras are gone. she brought the human side, as well as vice president harry joining us, saying, we've got to pass the legislation. as you said, we keep going to these funerals. we wait on the next one, rally. we wait on the next one. it is time for the congress to stop this and really up the ante legally, to say to police, you will be held accountable. >> what is your sense of that, rev? what is your sense of change at the federal level? it didn't go anywhere really, thro

>> well, i think like rodney wells, tyre's father said, and rowvaughn, they believe there was alwayscor up the truth, wolf blitzer. when the police came and banged on the door and said their son was driving erratic and is he on drugs or anything then they said they only pepper sprayed him and tased him. they said where's he at, they said he's nearby but you all can't come see him. they said why not. because he's under arrest. it wasn't until 4:00 that morning that the doctor from the emergency room called them to say you know, your son is having a cardiac failure and his lungs are collapsing and you all need to get here immediately. she said but they told us we couldn't come and that's when the doctor told her about his medical condition. and so they believed that was part of a conspiracy, so nothing, nothing surprises them about what the police say about what happened to tyre now. >> as you know, there are so many questions about that initial police report of this incident. ben, i'm curious. have you actually seen that report yourself? >> i have and it reminds you so much, wolf blit