Father of fallen Norco Marine arrested at State of Union

Steve Nikoui, the father of a Norco Marine who was killed in 2021 during the evacuation of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor for interrupting President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address Thursday night, according to Capitol Police.

Nikoui's son,Lance Cpl. Kareem Mae'Lee Grant Nikoui, 20, was one of three Inland Empire Marines killed in a suicide bombing that claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members during the chaotic final days of the U.S. presence in Kabul, Afghanistan. The other two were Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola, a 20-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga and Cpl. Hunter Lopez, a 22-year-old Indio resident.

Tragedy struck the Nikoui family again the following year, when Kareem's older brother, Dakota Halverson, took his own life at Norco's Pikes Peak Park. Their mother, Shana Chappell, said the brothers had played there as kids.

“I'm glad he did what he did,” Chappell said Friday of Steve Nikoui's actions.

“I thought the arrest was B.S.,” she said. “Like, how are you gonna arrest a Gold Star dad for speaking out?”

Chappell herself also has criticized Biden, including blasting him on social media.

She said in 2021 that the president rolled his eyes when meeting with the slain service members' families, and that her son's blood was on his hands.

Chappell didn't attend the address, or watch it.

“I'm grieving two sons,” she said, adding the she cannot bear to also hear Biden speaking “B.S.” and “nonsense.” She added that, of the family members of the 13 deceased, only those who would agree to certain terms are still receiving information from officials. She isn't among them.

At Thursday's address, Nikoui yelled “Abbey Gate, Abbey Gate” during the president's speech, a reference to the gate at Kabul airport at which the bombing occurred.

Police officers quickly removed Nikoui, 51, from the gallery, where he was a guest of Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla. Biden paused briefly during the interruption but moved on quickly.

A statement from the Capitol Police said officers had warned Nikoui to stop, and when he did not, they removed him from the chamber.

In the statement, officers said: “This is a routine charge on Capitol Hill. People who illegally demonstrate/disrupt Congress typically are released after they pay a $50 fine, so the misdemeanor charge is resolved without going to court.”

Nikoui has been a vocal critic of Biden since the death of his son. In August 2021, he told The Daily Beast that he blamed the president for the tragedy.

“They sent my son over there as a paper pusher and then had the Taliban outside providing security,” Nikoui said at the time, according to the news organization. “I blame my own military leaders,” he said, adding, “Biden turned his back on him. That's it.”

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Bonsall, addressed the incident in a Friday news release.

“Last night was a lost opportunity — once again — for President Biden to finally speak in public about the 13 servicemembers lost in the bombing in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021,” he said in the release. “Once again, he was silent.”

Issa said Nikoui “spoke for all of us” and “did nothing wrong.”

The service members' families have been denied “the personal possessions of their loved ones,” “rightful access to military bases,” and “any kind of complete accounting of the events of that day,” Issa said.

Chappell called for Biden's impeachment, and has continued to criticize online the administration and Afghanistan evacuation.

“For me, I'm still wanting accountability for the death of my son,” Chappell said Friday. Asked what that would look like, she said “the whole administration and the military advisers (would) be gone.”

“They're why those 13 are dead,” she said.

“Still to this day, Biden hasn't said any of their names,” Chappell said. “And I'm always asking `How come'?”

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