TSR Updatez: It looks like we’re already seeing some reform taking place in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Negotiators for the city of Minneapolis have agreed with the state to ban the use of chokeholds by police.
Officers will also be required to report and intervene any time they see an unauthorized use of force by another officer, according to WCCO.
The new mandates are part of a stipulation between the city and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which launched a civil rights investigation this week in response to George Floyd’s death while in police custody. The City Council is expected to approve the agreement later today.
The agreement, which will be enforceable in court, would require any officer, regardless of their tenure or rank, to immediately report the use of any neck restraint or chokehold from the scene to their commander or their commander’s superiors.
This measure goes beyond just reporting however. Any officer who sees another officer commit any unauthorized use of force, including any chokehold or neck restraint, must try to intervene verbally and even physically.
If the officers don’t intervene, they would be subject to discipline as severe as if they themselves had used the prohibited force, per the agreement.
The agreement also requires authorization from the police chief or a designated deputy chief to use crowd control weapons, including chemical agents, rubber bullets, flash-bangs, batons, and marking rounds.
And in the name of swift justice, the agreement will also require more timely decisions on disciplining officers.
Minneapolis is being made an example of but it would be interesting to see if other cities across the nation adopt similar rules and regulations for their law enforcement agencies to prevent another tragic death.
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