IMMED
IATE ADOPT
ION
Number
200215
Vers
ion
OR
IG
INAL
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. STAMPER, COGGS, RA
INEY, LEW
IS, DODD, HAM
ILTON, PEREZ, KOVAC, JOHNSON, BAUMAN, BORKOWSK
I, D
IM
ITR
IJEV
IC AND ZAMARR
IPA
T
itle
Resolut
ion urg
ing the F
ire and Pol
ice Comm
iss
ion to adopt a pol
icy address
ing the "
I can't breathe" plea by an
ind
iv
idual who
is under pol
ice custody.
Analys
is
Th
is resolut
ion urges that the F
ire and Pol
ice Comm
iss
ion adopt a pol
icy regard
ing a plea from any person under pol
ice custody stat
ing that the
ind
iv
idual
is unable to
breathe or any
ind
icat
ion that the
ind
iv
idual
is unable to
breathe. The pol
icy should
include a requ
irement that when a person states that he or she cannot
breathe, pol
ice off
icers must ask whether the person needs med
ical attent
ion.
Body
Whereas, On May 25, 2020, George Floyd stated “
I can’t
breathe” and d
ied after he was put
in a chokehold by a M
inneapol
is pol
ice off
icer; and
Whereas, On July 22, 2014, Er
ic Garner stated “
I can’t
breathe” wh
ile be
ing placed
in a chokehold by arrest
ing New York C
ity pol
ice off
icers and d
ied from h
is
injur
ies; and
Whereas,
In July of 2011, Derek W
ill
iams d
ied
in pol
ice custody after hav
ing d
iff
iculty breath
ing for approx
imately 15 m
inutes, wh
ich was captured on squad car v
ideo; and
Whereas, M
ilwaukee Pol
ice Department off
icers test
ify
ing at the
inquest for W
ill
iams’s death stated that suspects often “fake” a med
ical problem to “try to get away”; and
Whereas, The deaths of these men
in add
it
ion to many other men and women
in pol
ice custody prove that these med
ical
issues were not faked and
ind
icate excess
ive force; and
Whereas,
It
is essent
ial to preserve every
ind
iv
idual’s const
itut
ional r
ights to l
ife and to due process; and
Whereas, Allow
ing pol
ice off
icers to use excess
ive force w
ithout consequence erodes the publ
ic trust
in those who are charged w
ith enforc
ing laws and preserv
ing publ
ic safety; and
Whereas,
Inc
idents of excess
ive force result
ing
in death are not
isolated and cont
inue to ...
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