{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-renews-call-independent-prosecutors-police-shootings", "Cohen Renews Call for Independent Prosecutors for Police Shootings", "2016-09-22", "2016", "2016-09", "Democrat", "House", "TN", "Steve Cohen", "C001068", "cohen.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 In the wake of the police shootings of Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, North Carolina, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, today renewed his call for Congress to pass the\u00a0Police Training and Independent Review Act (H.R. 2302) to encourage states to use independent prosecutors to investigate police use of deadly force. Congressman Cohen spoke on the House floor today urging his colleagues to support the bill, which has been endorsed by the NAACP and Chicago Tribune, and has 97 cosponsors in the House of Representatives. You can watch that video here.\n\u201cI woke up Tuesday morning to the shocking video of Mr. Crutcher being shot to death by police while his hands were up and he was on his car,\u201d said Congressman Cohen. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the most shocking videos I\u2019ve seen. At best it was gross negligence; at worst it was murder. This has been happening too often in the United States.\u201d \n\u201cEven former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough agrees that independent prosecutors must be used in instances of police use of deadly force. I urge my Republican Colleagues, none of whom are on the bill, to follow Joe Scarborough\u2019s lead, and support this issue. Congress must pass the Police Training and Independent Review Act to ensure police receive the appropriate training to understand different cultures and require independent prosecutors to investigate police use of deadly force. It is necessary for people to know that justice is indeed blind.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \nThe Police Training and Independent Review Act would encourage states to use independent prosecutors to investigate and, if need be, prosecute instances of police use of deadly force. It would also encourage states to provide improved training for police officers.\u00a0 The bill was introduced by Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (MO-01) (whose district includes Ferguson, MO).\nThe bill\u2019s 97 cosponsors include Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Linda Sanchez (D-CA), civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), and House Dean and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI).\u00a0\nThis morning on MSNBC\u2019s Morning Joe, former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough called for independent prosecutors in police deadly force cases. You can watch the segment here.\nLast year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo began requiring the use of an independent prosecutor for police killings.\u00a0 See NY Times:\u00a0Cuomo to Appoint Special Prosecutor for Killings by Police\nPress coverage of the Police Training and Independent Review Act includes:\nChicago Tribune Editorial:\nPolice deadly force cases call for independent prosecutors\nUSA Today:\nLawmakers seek congressional hearing on police shootings\nNBC News:\nTense Relations Between Cops, Prosecutors Fall Out From Freddie Gray Cases\nChristian Science Monitor:\nWould independent prosecutors make police shooting investigations fairer?\nThe Hill:\nCalls mount for outside probes of police shootings\nThe New Republic:\nLawmakers are trying to fix what went wrong in the Tamir Rice case\nUPI:\nDemocratic bill calling for independent reviews of fatal police shootings gaining support\nThe Hill:\nHouse Dems: Use independent prosecutors for police shootings\nABC 7 Chicago (WLS-TV):\nDeadly force dilemma: When should prosecutors step aside?\nH.R. 2302 addresses a key recommendation included in President Obama\u2019s Taskforce on 21st Century Policing\u2019s final report:\u00a0 (See Action Item 2.2.3\u00a0inhttp://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/TaskForce_FinalReport.pdf\u00a0-- on p. 21 of the final report):\u00a0\n\u201c2.2.3 Action Item:\nThe task force encour\u00adages policies that mandate the use of external and independent prosecutors in cases of police use of force resulting in death, officer-involved shootings resulting in injury or death, or in-custody deaths.\nStrong systems and policies that encourage use of an independent prosecutor for reviewing police uses of force and for prosecution in cases of inappropriate deadly force and in-custody death will demonstrate the transparency to the public that can lead to mutual trust between community and law enforcement.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cohen-renews-call-independent-prosecutors-police-shootings"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9507280774414539, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}