Tire Nichols’ parents to attend Biden’s State of the Union address

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Memphis police officers, is comforted by Tyre’s stepfather, Rodney Wells, during a press conference with civil rights lawyer Ben Crump in Memphis, Tennessee on Jan. 27, 2023. Tire Nichols’ parents will attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address next week.”/>
FILE – RowVaughn Wells, mother of Tire Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police officers, is comforted by Tyre’s stepfather, Rodney Wells, during a press conference with civil rights lawyer Ben Crump in Memphis, Tennessee on Jan. 27, 2023. Tire Nichols’ parents will attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address next week.Gerald Herbert/AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The parents of Tire Nichols, the black man who was severely beaten by a group of Memphis, Tennessee, police officers and died days later, will attend President Joe’s State of the Union address. Biden next week at the US Capitol.

RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, Nichols’ mother and stepfather, accepted an invitation to attend a speech by Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, according to Vincent Evans, a spokesman for the group. black legislators.

Video released last week of the violent Jan. 7 encounter between Nichols and officers shows the officers savagely beating the 29-year-old FedEx worker for three minutes while shouting profanity at him.

Nichols was hospitalized and died on January 10.

Five police officers, who are also black, were fired and charged with second-degree murder and other offenses in Nichols’ beating and death. On Monday, two more Memphis police officers were disciplined and three emergency medical technicians were fired in connection with the case.

Horsford said it was important for Nichols’ parents to hear from the president and their elected representatives in Congress.

“I invited the Nichols family as guests of the Congressional Black Caucus so that they would be there that day to hear from the President and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to find out how we are finally going to take measures to keep our communities safe. Horsford told MSNBC on Monday.

This year, lawmakers are allowed to bring guests with them into the House chamber for the Feb. 7 speech for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

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