LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas’ governor on Tuesday formed a task force to examine law enforcement training and policies in the wake of protests over George Floyd’s death by a Minneapolis police officer.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the “task force to advance the state of law enforcement in Arkansas” will issue recommendations by the end of the year. The Republican governor said its duties will include examining the accountability of officers who don’t meet standards, as well as the possible creation of a statewide public database of complaints against law enforcement officers.
Hutchinson created the panel in response to days of protests in Arkansas and nationwide over Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Floyd died May 25 after an officer pressed his knee into his neck for almost nine minutes, even after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air.
The panel’s members will include retired and current law enforcement, as well as at least two leaders of local protests held in Arkansas over Floyd’s death.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.