WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd February, 2023) US Vice President Kamala Harris urged Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act, at the funeral of Tyre Nichols on Wednesday.
"As vice president of the United States, we demand that Congress pass the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act� Joe Biden will sign it. And, we should not delay, and we will not be denied. It is non-negotiable," said Harris during her remarks in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Act, which has stalled in Congress, would ban chokeholds, require police to attempt de-escalation techniques before using deadly force, and order all law enforcement officers to take anti-discrimination training. Most importantly, the act would raise the standard for deadly force from "reasonable" to "necessary," meaning that in order to justify deadly force, it has to be the only option available to an officer to protect themselves or someone else.
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old black man, died three days after an altercation with five Memphis police officers, who were also black, on January 7 following a traffic stop. All five officers have been fired and charged with second-degree murder.
