TUCSON— Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva cosponsored a congressional resolution condemning police brutality, racial profiling, and excessive and militarized use of force after protests have broken out across the country after the tragic death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“The protests we’re seeing are borne out of decades of policing practices that have institutionalized excessive force as the norm when confronting black and brown bodies,” said Rep. Grijalva. “For too long, numerous instances of excessive violence have resulted in the deaths of thousands of people of color that are often met with impunity. It’s time to call this violence out for the brutality it is and enact strong legislation that stops the militarization of police forces and bring accountability to those law enforcement officers who engage in unprovoked violence.”

Since 2015, police officers have fatally shot almost 1000 people each year and studies show that young people of color are more likely to be killed by police than their white counterparts. The past couple of decades have also seen an unprecedented rise in military-grade equipment making its way to local law enforcement, with an estimated $4.3 billion in equipment transferred to local police departments from the Department of Defense.

“Police violence must end now,” continued Rep. Grijalva. “We cannot begin to heal the scars of racial injustice if a militarized, biased police force continues profiling us and using unnecessary violence towards our communities. It’s time to not just condemn police brutality, but pass legislation that stops exacerbating violence towards communities of color.”

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