Almost three years after African American George Floyd died below the knee of a white police officer, the city of Minneapolis announced Friday that it had approved a plan to reform its police force.
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The death of the forty-something, whose ordeal was filmed by a bystander, had sparked demonstrations across the country and even around the world under the slogan “Black Lives Matter.”
The police in this metropolis in the north of the USA had been sharply criticized for their methods. An investigation launched by the Minnesota human rights services into the death of George Floyd last year concluded that the drama was part of a context of broader “racial discrimination” within the Minneapolis police force.
“Today we face our past and move forward with a roadmap to bring about meaningful change in our city,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement.
“Our primary goal is to develop a better and more equitable approach to policing and public safety in Minneapolis,” he added.
The agreement was negotiated after the investigation between the city and the Minnesota State Human Rights Agency. It must come into force as soon as a court has ratified it.
In particular, the more than 140-page text stipulates that the police should no longer stop vehicles for certain minor offenses (often used as an excuse in the past) and only use force when “necessary” and “proportionate to the perceived danger”.
Tasers, on the other hand, should only be used when the police have reason to make an arrest and it is necessary to “protect the officer, the individual or a third party”.