Cuomo proposes national ban on chokeholds by law enforcement amid ongoing protests responding to death of George Floyd

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday proposed a positive reform agenda amidst the ongoing protests across the state and nation in response to the death of George Floyd. The reform agenda includes a national ban on excessive force and chokeholds by law enforcement officers; independent investigations of police abuse conducted by independent, outside agencies – not by local prosecutors; and disclosure of disciplinary records of police officers being investigated.

Cuomo said, "I said from day one, I share the outrage and I stand with the protestors. You look at that video of the killing of an unarmed man, Mr. Floyd, it is horrendous. Horrendous. It's frightening. It perverts everything you believe about this country. It does and there's no excuse for it. No right-minded American would make an excuse for it. So, protest yes. Be frustrated, yes. Outraged, yes of course. Is there a larger problem? Of course."

He added, "You want to make that moment work. Yes, you express the outrage. But then you say, 'Here's my agenda. Here's what I want.' That's what we have to be doing in this moment. And the protestors are making a point. And most of them are making a smart, sensible point. But you have to add the positive reform agenda that every voice calls for so the government, the politicians know what to do. And there is a positive reform agenda here. There should be a national ban on excessive force by police officers. There should be a national ban on chokeholds. Period. There should be independent investigations of police abuse."