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.