Just a few miles from the spot where Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, police just outside of Minneapolis used deadly force during a traffic stop and killed another black man. His name was Daunte Wright.
Daunte Wright called his mother as he was being pulled over for having an air freshener in his car. He was worried for his life.
Police continue to show us that they can’t be trusted to reform their own behaviors. The House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act last month to hold police accountable and make sweeping changes. But it’s stuck in the Senate, where the filibuster will allow Mitch McConnell to stop it -- unless Democrats act.
Sign the petition: Tell Congress to end the filibuster and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act!
Daunte Wright was pulled over for having an air freshener in his car. George Floyd was accused of using a counterfeit bill in a grocery store. Neither one was found guilty in court because the police officers on the scene responded with deadly force. Daunte Wright was shot to death, while George Floyd screamed out for help under the knee of Derek Chauvin for over nine gruesome minutes.
Something has to change, or these mens’ lives -- and so many others -- will be lost in vain. But instead of addressing racial bias and implementing reforms internally, police departments have actually spent more money arming themselves to the teeth.1
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would restrict “qualified immunity” that police officers use to shield themselves from accountability when they kill. It would abolish chokeholds and neck restraints that killed George Floyd and Eric Garner. It would put tough restrictions on how much military-grade weapons police departments can buy from the Pentagon.2
The House already passed the George Floyd Act, but Republicans can use the filibuster to block the George Floyd Act in the Senate. Instead of holding police accountable when they kill people, Republicans in the Senate will use a procedural roadblock to make sure no real reforms can pass.
That’s why it’s absolutely critical that you speak up and speak loudly -- and do so right now.
Sign the petition: Tell Congress to end the filibuster and pass the George Floyd Act!
Sources:
1. Speaking Security, “The flow of military equipment to police through Q1 of 2021,” April 6, 2021.
2. New York Times, “The House passes a policing overhaul bill named for George Floyd, whose death spurred nationwide protests.,” March 4, 2021.