MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMOT) -- West Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen is offering up legislation he believes will bring some clarity to investigations into the shooting deaths of black men at the hands of white police officers.
Cohen is asking for the U.S. House to review his Police Training and Intendent Review Act. The act would withhold federal policing funds from states that don’t pass new laws requiring the intendent review of policing shooting incidents.
“It (the Act) simply calls on states to set up a system of having independent review of shootings so that we know that they are fair and impartial and people know justice is being rendered. There are just too many shootings where people were allegedly reaching for a gun.”
The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that Cohen’s bill was introduced last year but hasn’t yet been scheduled for a hearing before the Republican controlled House Judiciary Committee.