In Wake Of George Floyd Death, Florida Bill Targets Strangulation By Police Officers
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - About eight months after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis touched off nationwide protests, a Florida state senator has filed a bill that targets strangulation by police officers.
The bill (SB 730), filed Friday by Sen. Randolph Bracy, D-Orlando, could lead to officers facing third-degree felony charges if they strangle people under certain circumstances.
"A law enforcement officer commits the offense of strangulation by a law enforcement officer if while on duty the officer knowingly and intentionally impedes the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of an individual so as to create a risk of or cause great bodily harm or death by applying pressure on the throat or neck of the individual or by blocking the nose or mouth of the individual, including the use of a chokehold or similar restraint," said the bill, filed for consideration during the legislative session that starts March 2.
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Floyd died May 25,2020 after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against Floyd's neck while he was handcuffed chest-down on the street.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
He is scheduled to stand trial in March.
Three other three former officers are charged with aiding and abetting. That trial is set to start Aug. 23.
Floyd's death sparked protests in Minneapolis and elsewhere and renewed calls for an end to police brutality and racial inequities.
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