CONGRESSMAN JONATHAN L. JACKSON CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE PASSAGE OF THE GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT IN THE WAKE OF NFL STAR TYREEK HILL’S VIOLENT DETENTION BY POLICE
CONGRESSMAN JONATHAN L. JACKSON CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE PASSAGE OF THE GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT IN THE WAKE OF NFL STAR TYREEK HILL’S VIOLENT DETENTION BY POLICE
Press Release | September 10, 2024
Washington, DC - On Sunday, September 8th, America again saw the ugly face of “police brutality” as NFL Superstar Tyreek Hill was detained by Miami Police while attempting to simply go to work. Mr. Hill was accused ostensibly of a traffic violation. However, due to Mr. Hill’s race, the interaction was escalated by officers into a confrontation, resulting in officers forcing Mr. Hill to lie face down on the ground, only blocks from the stadium at which he worked, with no officer attempting to either deescalate the situation or intervene in the defense of Mr. Hill.
But also, we saw the resilience that Black Americans have exhibited for the last 400 years. Because Tyreek Hill went from facedown to touchdown. Despite being harassed, brutalized, and traumatized, Mr. Hill lifted his head and did as his ancestors have for generations and continued to get the job done.
Just days before this event, former President Donald J. Trump spoke to the Fraternal Order of Police and encouraged officers to use exactly this sort of “Tough on Crime” policing that was used against Mr. Hill. Mr. Trump further promised a return to “Stop and Frisk” policies if he were re-elected. This would allow police to detain individuals without probable cause. A practice that has long resulted in the abuse of minority communities.
Seeing the threat of the extreme MAGA Republican agenda, Congress must get the job done for victims of police brutality and over-policing. In 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, millions of Americans demanded congressional action to address the brutality experienced by Black Americans for decades.
Similarly, in 2023, after the tragic beating death of Tyre Nichols, millions of Americans demanded accountability of officers who failed to intervene when they witnessed fellow officers using excessive force.
Both incidents and thousands of others prompted House Democrats led by the late Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee to introduce the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, which offered the possibility of significant policing reforms and later an amendment adding Tyre Nichol’s “Duty to Intervene,” which created a federal cause of action against officers who fail to intervene when they witness a fellow officer exercising excessive force.
Today, I call on Congress to honor the memory of Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee and immediately pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and finally protects the rights and freedoms of all Americans.