Geraldo Rivera Calls On Donald Trump To Ban Chokeholds For All Law Enforcement Via Executive Order
Reporter and talk show host Geraldo Rivera called on President Donald Trump to put a ban on chokeholds used by law enforcement officers when detaining suspects in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Rivera made his comments against the backdrop of weeks of demonstrations protesting Floyd’s death and calls for police reform and reeducation.
“#GeorgeFloydFuneral deeply affecting” Rivera tweeted on Tuesday.
“To honor his family and millions profoundly saddened & angry over his murder, now is the perfect time for @realDonaldTrump to issue an Executive Order Banning chokeholds by any officer of any law enforcement agency receiving federal funding.”
The 76-year-old journalist’s comments came as images and videos of The Fountain of Praise church in Houston, Texas packed to the brim with mourners began to flood the internet following Floyd’s third and final memorial service.
"This was not just a tragedy. It was a crime," says Rev. Al Sharpton, speaking at the funeral of George Floyd.
"If four black cops had done to one white what was done to George … they would send them to jail," he said. pic.twitter.com/yBb6OFOlH2
— CNN (@CNN) June 9, 2020
Floyd was a 46-year-old unarmed African American man who died while in police custody on May 25 after an officer detained him with what many believed to be an unreasonably aggressive force.
A video of Floyd’s death went viral and sparked worldwide protests on the issues of racism and police brutality. Floyd’s family in Houston held his memorial on Tuesday and gave emotional addresses about the life of their late loved one, causing many to call out the senselessness of his death.
Thanks to the ongoing protests in Floyd’s honor, multiple police reform policies have been suggested, in addition to Rivera’s recommendation.
Possibly the most prevalent campaign has been dubbed “Eight can’t wait,” in reference to eight polices that could be enacted in police departments throughout the nation in hopes of deterring future unnecessary violence.
Included in the eight proposed changes are the use of choke and strangleholds, de-escalation practices, and warning before shooting. Additionally, the changes would require that officers exhaust every possible alternative before shooting and ban shooting at moving vehicles altogether.
Officers would also be required to make comprehensive reports on uses of force if the eight policies are enacted in their department.
The issue of police brutality has been at the forefront of many minds as protests and riots shook every city in the United States, bringing along with them questions about bias among police and racism at large.
Along with his most recent memorial being a televised event, Floyd’s funeral was attended by the families of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Botham Jean, Pamela Turner, Michael Brown, and Ahmaud Arbery, all of whom lost loved ones in widely criticized killings, believed to be racist in nature.
