Police Chokehold Ban Introduced in US Congress

The United States will introduce a new legislation that would ban the use of chokeholds by police.

NEW YORK (Sputnik) — In the wake of the death of Eric Garner at the hands of the New York City Police Department in July 2014, a new law that would ban the use of chokeholds by police across the United States will be introduced on Tuesday, US Representative Hakeem Jeffries said in a press release upon co-sponsoring the Excessive Use of Force Prevention Act.

In July 2014, Garner died as a consequence of being unable to breathe because NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo applied a chokehold on him while trying to apprehend Garner.

“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,” Jeffries said on Monday.

While the NYPD has been prohibited to use of chokeholds for more than twenty years, a Grand Jury refused to indict Pantaleo in the death of Garner, sparking protests throughout the United States.

“Mr. 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,” Jeffries said.

More than 1,000 complaints have been filed against the NYPD over officers’ use of chokeholds from 2009 to 2013, but resulted in only one officer being disciplined, according to the Civilian Complaint Review Board.