The parents of Tyre Nichols, who died after a violent encounter with police during a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee, this month, will attend President Biden’s State of the Union address next week.
Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, and stepfather, Rodney Wells, accepted an invitation to the speech at the U.S. Capitol from Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford, Nevada Democrat, a caucus spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.
“I have invited the Nichols family as guests of the Congressional Black Caucus so they will be there on that day to hear from the president and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to hear how we will finally take action to keep our communities safe,” Mr. Horsford told MSNBC on Monday.
Memphis released three videos last week containing footage from body cameras and another video containing footage from a pole camera that captured the traffic stop Jan. 7 that led to five Memphis police officers being charged with second-degree murder and other crimes in connection with Nichols’ death three days later.
Two other Memphis police officers have faced disciplinary measures and three emergency medical technicians were fired in connection with the case.
Mr. Biden said he was “deeply pained” by the “horrific” beating that he said served as “yet another painful reminder of the profound fear and trauma, the pain and the exhaustion that Black and Brown Americans experience every single day.”
Mr. Biden spoke with Tyre Nichols’ mother and stepfather Friday and offered his condolences. The president also commended the family for its courage and strength, the White House said.
“I told her that I have some idea of what that loss is like,” Mr. Biden said.
The president’s young daughter was killed in a car accident in 1972. His son Beau Biden died of cancer in 2015.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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