Biden signs order aimed at reforming federal police practices

Washington, May 26 (IANS) US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order aimed at reforming federal police practices.

The action came on the second anniversary of the police killing of African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota during an arrest, reports Xinhua news agency.

Biden, speaking at an event from the White House, said that the order "promotes accountability", with measures including the creation of "a new national law enforcement accountability database to track records of misconduct so that an officer can't hide the misconduct".

It also bans chokeholds, restricts no-knock warrants, and tightens use-of-force policies to emphasize de-escalation, according to the White House.

Biden underlined the executive order applies directly to all federal law enforcement officers, whose number exceeds 100,000.

"Though federal incentives and best practices they're attached to, we expect the order to have significant impact on state and local law enforcement agencies as well," he added.

The families of Floyd and Breonna Taylor, who was killed in 2020 by officers executing a "no-knock" warrant in Louisville, Kentucky, attended the signing ceremony.

Floyd's death sparked massive demonstrations across the US in the summer of 2020 against police brutality and systemic racism.

"For many people, including many families here, such accountability is all too rare," Biden said on Wednesday, calling on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which is stalled in the Senate, and send it to his desk.

Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis police officer who put his knee on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, was convicted last year of murder and is serving his sentence in prison.

Three other former police officers were found guilty in a federal trial earlier this year of violating Floyd's civil rights.

A vigil in memory of Floyd was held on Wednesday night at the intersection in Minneapolis where the 46-year-old man died.

Several other US cities and places organised similar events.