Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, the killing of Tyre Nichols has reignited a national debate about the excessive use of force by police, and rightfully so. This unarmed 29-year-old was brutally beaten by Memphis police officers with an egregious, excessive use of force.

Within the Republican conference, Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina has been our leader on police reform matters, and I have been proud to work with him on bills to help improve policing in our communities and public safety. One of those bills was the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act, which, by the way, was just signed into law last month.

This new law will ensure that all police officers have the opportunity to acquire skills to defuse a potentially dangerous situation like the one we saw in Memphis. Use of force should only come into play when absolutely necessary, and this legislation will provide law enforcement officers with the knowledge of what alternatives are available to them, which invariably will make their lives better and safer and also protect the life of the individual who is being detained.

This has the potential to save lives and prevent another senseless and entirely preventable tragedy like this from reoccurring.

I am glad this legislation is now the law of the land, and the Department of Justice must implement it as quickly as possible.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source