Biden aims for police reform on 2nd anniversary of George Floyd’s death

On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order aimed at reforming federal police practices.

The protest occurred on the second anniversary of the police killing of African American man George Floyd during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Biden stated at a White House event that the order “promotes accountability,” with measures such as the creation of a “new national law enforcement accountability database to track records of misconduct so that an officer cannot hide the misconduct.”

According to the White House, it also prohibits chokeholds, limits no-knock warrants, and tightens use-of-force policies to emphasize de-escalation.

Biden emphasized that the executive order applies directly to all federal law enforcement officers with a population greater than 100,000.

“While the order is attached to federal incentives and best practices, we expect it to have a significant impact on state and local law enforcement agencies as well,” he added.

Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s families attended the signing ceremony. Floyd and Breonna Taylor were killed in 2020 by officers executing a “no-knock” warrant in Louisville, Kentucky.

Floyd’s death sparked massive protests against police brutality and systemic racism across the United States in the summer of 2020.

“For many people, including many families here, such accountability is all too rare,” Biden said on Wednesday, urging Congress to pass and send to him the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which is currently stalled in the Senate.

Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer who put his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, was convicted of murder last year and is currently serving a prison sentence. In a federal trial earlier this year, three other ex-cops were found guilty of violating Floyd’s civil rights.

On Wednesday night, a vigil in Floyd’s honor was held at the Minneapolis intersection where the 46-year-old man was killed. Several other cities and towns in the United States held similar events.