Tyre Nichols’ parents and the man who disarmed the Monterey Park shooting suspect were invited to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Feb.
The brutal beating of Nichols by Memphis police and the shooting at a dance hall in Monterey Park, Calif., sparked renewed calls for police and gun control measures this month.
Rep. Stephen Horsford (D, Nevada), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said during an appearance on MSNBC Sunday that Nichols’ parents had accepted an invitation to attend the State of the Union address.
“Earlier today, I spoke with the Tyre Nichols family on behalf of the Black Caucus in Congress to first extend our condolences to them and let them know that we stand by them and that they Asked what they wanted from us in this moment, this police force by honoring their son’s legacy and inviting them as our guests at the State of the Union address on February 7. We will make sure that the culture problem, unfortunately in this country, the police culture is solved, which now contributes to countless deaths,” Horsford said.
Brandon Tsai disarmed the Monterey Park shooter at a dance hall in the Alhambra, Calif., minutes after the shooter killed 11 people and injured at least nine more at the initial scene, according to Rep. Judy Chu. Invited to the State of the Union address. , D – California.
At the Medal of Courage awarding ceremony in the Alhambra city on Sunday, Chu said Tsai’s behavior was “so wonderful” that he invited him as a guest in the president’s speech. Just an hour after, the president himself invited a guest to Tsai, Chu said.
“I can’t believe you turned me down for the presidency,” Chu joked to Tsai.
The president spoke with Nichols’ parents and Tsai in the wake of the tragedy.
On Friday, Biden spoke with Nichols’ mother and stepfathers, Law Vaughan Wells and Rodney Wells, by phone, and they shared a private view of a video showing Nichols’ brutal beating by Memphis police, days before it opened to the public last week. In conversations with them, Biden expressed condolences over his death at the age of 29 and praised his family for their courage and strength, according to the White House.
The president also said he was “outraged and deeply distressed” in response to the video of Nichols’ beating.
“It’s a poignant reminder of the deep fear, trauma, pain and exhaustion that black and brown Americans go through every day,” Biden said.
Biden called Tsai last week to thank him for his courageous actions to disarm the Monterey Park shooter.
“Instead of running, Brandon said he thought he was going to die. But then he thought about the people inside,” the president said last week during a recent California run. “And in that moment he follows his instincts. I took a semi-automatic pistol.”
The president aims to use his second State of the Union address to explain how legislation passed in the last two years has delivered on the important promises it made to voters, especially regarding the economy. .
The president’s next address to Congress is still very much a work in progress, the aide stressed. It is also possible to deal with the problem of
