Cohen Presses Attorney General about Police Training and Independent Review Act and Darrius Stewart Investigation

Press Release

Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, asked Attorney General Loretta Lynch today about the recent surge in support in Congress for the Police Training and Independent Review Act (H.R. 2302), as well as the Department of Justice's investigation into the shooting of Memphian Darrius Stewart. The questions occurred at a House Judiciary Committee hearing. Video of Congressman Cohen's question time with the Attorney General can be found here.

"We have a real problem in this country when it comes to the relationship between police and the communities they are sworn to protect and serve. Black lives matter," said Congressman Cohen. "Congressman Lacy Clay and I put forward a bill last year, the Police Training and Independent Review Act (H.R. 2302), to address two of the major issues to help improve this relationship."

The bill, which is supported by the NAACP and has been endorsed by the Chicago Tribune, would withhold some federal funding unless independent prosecutors are used to investigate and, if need be, prosecute instances of police use of deadly force. "Asking a local prosecutor to investigate the same local police with whom he or she works so closely on a daily basis is an obvious conflict of interest. Even if the prosecutor does everything right, the action can still appears biased," continued Congressman Cohen. "If we are serious about restoring a sense of trust, we need to eliminate this conflict of interest."

The bill would also withhold some federal funding unless police are trained on issues of cultural diversity and racial bias.

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