Tony Hawk to donate autographed photo proceeds to Tyre Nichols fund

Funeral held for Tyre Nichols

Tyre Nichols' family and friends remembered him with songs of faith and emotional tributes Wednesday, blending a celebration of his life with outraged calls for police reform after the brutal beating he endured at the hands of Memphis police.

Skateboard legend Tony Hawk says he will donate half of the proceeds of autographed photos of himself and BMX rider Rick Thorne to the memorial fund for Tyre Nichols.

"My proceeds from these will go to the Tyre Nichols Memorial Fund, which includes plans to build a public skatepark in his honor; as our worlds continue to grieve his loss," Hawk tweeted Friday. "He was a talented skater among other admirable traits. Let’s keep his legacy alive."

The photos can be purchased on Thorne’s website for $30. Only 1,000 copies will be available for sale.

Tony Hawk speaks onstage as Metallica Presents: The Helping Hands Concert (Paramount+) at Microsoft Theater on December 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for P+ and MTV)

Half of the proceeds from the autographed photos will go to Nichols’ memorial fund "to help his family out, and to build a memorial skate park in his name, honoring his love for skateboarding," according to Thorne’s website.

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Nichols was a 29-year-old skateboarder, FedEx worker and father to a 4-year-old boy.

He died Jan. 10 after police stopped him for what they said was a traffic violation and beat him. Video released after pressure from Nichols’ family shows officers holding him down and repeatedly punching, kicking and striking him with a baton as he screamed for his mother.

Six officers have since been fired and five of them have been charged. One other officer has been suspended, but has not been identified.

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This story corrects spelling of Rick Thorne’s last name.

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An earlier version of this report incorrectly said six officers had been charged instead of five.