Central Brooklyn and Coney Island Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, today, announced he will introduce federal legislation that will reform local police departments ability to use excessive force in making stops.
Dubbed the Excessive Use of Force Prevention Act of 2015, Jeffries will discuss the particulars of the measure at a press conference Monday.
Jeffries will be joined at the press conference by Gwen Carr, Eric Garner’s mother, along with officials from the National Action Network to announce the bill.
Last year, Eric Garner, a father of six, died as a result of a chokehold applied by a NYPD officer during an arrest for a minor offense. The chokehold is a deadly maneuver that has been prohibited by the NYPD for over twenty years. Yet, a Staten Island grand jury failed to indict police officer Daniel Pantaleo on a single charge.
Garner’s tragic death, which was caught on tape by a bystander, sparked a national conversation surrounding the need to reevaluate policing strategies and improve the relationship between law enforcement and the community they serve. The legislation is a direct response to the death of Mr. Garner and will also address the excessive use of police force throughout the nation.
There are already 20 co-signers on the bill including Flatbush Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.
When: 1 p.m., Monday, April 27
Where: 1 Police Plaza, Manhattan
