New legislation aimed at holding police accountable after Tyre Nichols’ death

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) -Georgia lawmakers are pushing for their bills on police accountability to be passed after the death of Tyre Nichols.

“The unfortunate incident that happened in Memphis underscored for real, substantive change in Georgia and around the country,” said Gerald Griggs with the NAACP.

“If you are a law-abiding Georgian, should you fear being in your own home and being shot dead by law enforcement,” said Representative Viola Davis.

Three bills, HB-107, 112, and 113, are aimed at bringing about police accountability.

“We’re not enemies, we’re partners, and we’re partnering with everybody,” said Representative Kim Schofield.

HB-107 is the Police Accountability Act. It would require police to all wear body cameras, have them on when interacting with the public, and require that video be released.

HB-112 is the Ethical Policing Act. It would create more procedures and requirements to make policing more ethical and it would let towns and cities make citizen review boards to hold police accountable.

HB-113 is the Preventing Tragedies Between Police and Communities Act. It would require police to do de-escalation training.

“This is not about being anti-law enforcement. It’s about being pro-justice,” said Griggs.

Representatives say they want to work with law enforcement to implement these bills and build up community trust.

“We’ve got to have every voice at the table. We’re not just passing legislation for isolation but it really is integration,” said Representative Schofield.

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