(wildflowerschool.org)
The death of George Floyd stood as a giant wake-up-call to the issue of police brutality and sparked a level of police reform unparalleled to any other instance of police misconduct. On May 25th, 2020, police officers responding to a call about a fake $20 bill being used, pulled over George Floyd. After an altercation, Officer Derek Chauvin proceeds to draw his weapon and instruct Floyd to put his hands up without a proper explanation. It is at this point officers Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane proceed to handcuff and attempt to seat Floyd in the back seat of their police car. Floyd protested and resisted to sitting in the back seat of the police stating he is claustrophobic and would rather lie on the ground. At this point the three officers begin to try and restrain Floyd, with officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck. Despite multiple pleas for help and explicitly stating he cannot breathe, the pressure of Chauvin’s knee led to George Floyd’s asphyxiation. After multiple videos of the altercation went viral on the internet, the nation was fueled with rage, sparking multiple riots and protests across the nation.
As the result of the death of George Floyd, H.R. 1280 was passed, also know as the George Floyd Policing Act of 2021. The bill was created to address the issues of police brutality and misconduct and directly addresses polices and issues surrounding policing practices and law enforcement. It increases accountability for misconduct amongst law enforcement, restricts certain policing practices, enhances data collection and transparency, as well as establishes stronger training requirements.
Among other things it also:
“Lowers the criminal intent standard—from willful to knowing or reckless—to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution”
“Limits qualified immunity as a defense to liability in a private civil action against a law enforcement officer”
“Grants administrative subpoena power to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in pattern-or-practice investigations”
H.R. 1280 puts us one step closer to eliminating police misconduct by increasing accountability and limiting the use of force amongst law enforcement. Police brutality and misconduct effects all races, yet its disproportionality effecting Black and Brown, Hispanics, and other minorities. By introducing new ways to “police the police” we are able to create more positive and progressive movements toward improving our law enforcement, in an effort to ensure every individual is treated fairly as well as provided their rights and freedoms as an American. Tragedies, like the death of George Floyd shine light on the issues amongst police departments today, and how unaddressed misconduct can snowball into large abuses of power, which result in the murder of innocent civilians at the hands of police officers. By enacting more regulatory laws, we are able to attempt to create safer police encounters in an active effort to reduce or even eliminate wrongful deaths at the hands of the police. Police departments are intended to create peace within society as well as establish a level of safety for all, yet events like this further expand the levels of distrust of our justice system.
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Idiotic article.
Police do not need to explain, prior to asking, hands up. Such would be stupid. Think.
Likely, H.R. 1280 will cause police to be less interactive, meaning many more black and brown people will be harmed and murdered by violent criminals.
Think.
Have you noticed how crime rates are rising? Which groups suffer most? Browns and blacks.
Think.