FUSE TV - Where Does Your City Stand on Police Chokeholds?

Across the country, activists, lawmakers, and every day citizens are taking to the streets and calling for an end to police brutality. This movement has many different prongs, and while some approaches focus on defunding the police, or reallocate funds to pay for other resources, others focus on curbing police violence. 

The use of chokeholds by police has come under particular scrutiny as Minnesota police killed George Floyd using a chokehold. In early June, the Minneapolis City Council voted to ban the use of chokeholds by police. In New York, the State Assembly passed the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act which states that an officer who injures or kills someone using a chokehold can be charged with a class C felony. 

While several cities have updated their Use of Force policy to ban chokeholds, the issue has become a federal one as well—Congressional Democrats introduced a bill that would ban chokeholds among other police reforms. 

Has your city banned chokeholds? 

This graphic shows the most populated city in each state and whether or not chokeholds have been banned. The graphic also shows whether or not each state maintains a Law Enforcement Bill of Rights which affords officers under investigation special protections that civilians do not have (LEBoRs vary state to state). If you don’t see your city, head to 8cantwait.org, and see where your city stands on chokeholds. 

The majority of the data is sourced from 8 Can’t Wait. Other data sources include: Americans for Effective Law Enforcement, Associated Press, The Marshall Project, Cato Institute, and Check the Police.

Note: cities across the country are updating their Use of Force policy—this graphic reflects cities as of June 23, 2020, but may be subject to updating.