HOUSTON — Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner made a big announcement during George Floyd’s funeral Tuesday. He said that he was going to sign an order that bans Houston police from using chokeholds and strangleholds. The executive order is expected to be signed on Wednesday, Jun 10, 2020.
“Right now the city attorney is drafting an executive order, an order I will sign when I get back to City Hall. It says in this city, we will ban chokeholds and strangleholds. In this city, we will require de-escalation. In this city, you have to give a warning before you shoot. In this city, you have a duty to intervene,” said Turner.
George Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said he supports the new order.
"A lot of the executive order is reinforcing what we're already doing," Acevedo said.
Police union president Joe Gamaldi echoed Acevedo's comments.
"A lot of these things, we're already doing," Gamaldi said.
Chokeholds have not been allowed in the Houston Police Department for at least 40 years and officers go through mandatory de-escalation training.