WASHINGTON — California mass-shooting hero Brandon Tsay and the family of police-slain Memphis man Tyre Nichols are expected to attend President Biden’s State of the Union address next week.
Tsay reportedly will attend as a guest of Biden’s — suggesting he will get a shout-out during the annual speech, while the Nichols relatives were invited by Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.).
Horsford and Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) revealed the guest information Sunday, before the White House was able to put out its own release detailing invitees for the Feb. 7 event.
Chu said Sunday that she invited Tsay for his “amazing” action on Jan. 21 to confront and disarm 72-year-old gunman Huu Can Tran, who murdered 11 people in Monterey Park just east of downtown Los Angeles before later killing himself.
“I can’t believe you turned me down for the president,” Chu said, NBC News reported.
Horsford, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said in an MSNBC interview Sunday that he invited the Nichols family to highlight the death of 29-year-old Tyre, who was fatally beaten after fleeing a traffic stop Jan. 7. He died three days later.
It’s unclear how many relatives of Nichols would attend.
Body camera footage of police brutally beating a restrained Nichols was released Friday night after five fired police officers were charged Thursday with second-degree murder and other crimes. In a distinction from some other high-profile instances of alleged police brutality, all five suspects and Nichols were African American.
“Earlier today, I spoke to the family of Tyre Nichols on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus to first extend our condolences to them, to let them know that we stand with them, to ask them what they want from us in this moment, to honor the legacy of their son, and to extend an invitation to them to be our guest at the State of the Union on Feb. 7,” Horsford said.
Horsford said their attendance “can make sure that this issue of police culture” would be addressed.
It’s unclear if Biden also will seek to invite the Nichols family, would be result in them getting to sit in a special portion of the viewing gallery near first lady Jill Biden.
