In response to the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd, the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill banning the use of chokeholds and “warrior-style training” by police officers.
Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes sparking nationwide protests against racism and police brutality.
The bill places limits on the use of force and strictly forbids “warrior-style training.”
“Warrior-style training” means “training for peace officers that dehumanizes people or encourages aggressive conduct by peace officers during encounters with others in a manner that deemphasizes the value of human life or constitutional rights, the result of which increases a peace officer’s likelihood or willingness to use deadly force.”
The bill calls on officers “to intercede and report” if they see another officer using excessive force regardless of tenure or rank.
It also provides officers with peer counseling, incident stress management, residency incentives, crisis intervention and mental illness crisis training, and autism training.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took to Twitter on Tuesday to celebrate the vote and acknowledged there is more to be done.
“George Floyd’s death brought the urgent need for meaningful police reform into sharp focus. Last night, [the Minnesota Legislature] passed bipartisan police accountability and reform measures,” Walz said.
He added, “This is a critical step toward justice. But this is only the beginning. The work does not end today.”
George Floyd’s death brought the urgent need for meaningful police reform into sharp focus.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) July 21, 2020
Last night, the #mnleg passed bipartisan police accountability and reform measures. This is a critical step toward justice.
But this is only the beginning. The work does not end today.
The four officers involved in Floyd’s murder are facing criminal charges including second-degree murder and aiding and abetting murder.
A trustee for the family of George Floyd sued Minneapolis and the four officers in federal court on Wednesday. They are seeking monetary damages.
On June 16, President Donald Trump declared police officers will no longer be allowed to use chokeholds unless “an officer’s life is at risk,” as IJR previously reported.
During an interview with CBS News on July 14, Trump was asked why Black people were still dying as a result of police brutality.
Trump claimed “more white people” are killed by police officers, as IJR previously reported.