MAX Stabbing Victim Ricky Best and Parkrose Football Coach Keanon Lowe Are Finalists for Congressional Medals of Honor

The recipients will be announced at a ceremony in March in Washington, D.C.

(Flickr Creative Commons)
By Tess Riski

Two Portlanders have been nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Citizens Honors Award, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) announced on Wednesday.

One of the finalists is Ricky Best, who was murdered on a Portland MAX train on May 26, 2017 after he intervened in Jeremy Christian's racist screed toward two black teenagers.

Best demonstrated "extraordinary heroism," Rep. Earl Blumenauer said in a statement to WW.

Parkrose High School faculty member Keanon Lowe has also been nominated.

Lowe, a former University of Oregon wide receiver, prevented a potential school shooting at the school last year when he calmed and hugged a student who entered the building with a loaded handgun.

"Portland will continue to stand against hate, and I'm proud to represent a city with such strong values," Blumenauer said in a statement.

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Congressional Medal of Honor Awardkeanon loweRep. Earl Blumenauerricky best

Tess Riski

Tess Riski

Tess Riski covers cops, courts, protests and extremism. She joined Willamette Week in 2020.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office.

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