Oklahoma Republican Senator Supports Legislation to Ban Police Chokeholds Nationwide

Oklahoma Republican Senator James Lankford on Sunday said he supports passing federal legislation to ban the use of police chokeholds across the United States.

Lankford said a ban on chokeholds should have been adopted and enforced "a long time ago," as he expressed his opposition to the types of restraint tactics police use--such as the eight minutes and 46 seconds of knee pressure that led to George Floyd's death on May 25. Several police departments have already enacted similar bans on chokeholds including San Diego, and state-level lawmakers including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo have already signed police reform packages banning such uses of force.

Several Democratic members of Congress have called for immediate and tangible changes to nationwide police tactics, but Lankford is one of only a few Republicans members who have expressed that publicly.

"What about a national ban on chokeholds?" ABC News' George Stephanopoulos asked the Oklahoma senator Sunday morning.

"Absolutely we should have that. That was one of the things that we should have engaged in a long time ago," Lankford said.

"Many departments around the country have already banned chokeholds and I think a lot of other departments are increasing that now. Some departments just didn't train for chokeholds and told their officers they can only do what they've been trained for. But this has been pretty clear. There has been a longstanding principle out there that is not needed for that situation," the GOP senator continued.

Lankford referenced a 2017 consensus document by 11 U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), which took on use of force problems. The document found that officers should only use chokeholds in situations where deadly force is justified.

Democratic lawmakers last week introduced sweeping police reform legislation that would ban police officers from using chokeholds and looks to decrease the amount of military weapons being sent to local police departments.

South Carolina GOP Senator Tim Scott, speaking on NBC News earlier Sunday morning, said Senate Republicans will introduce their own police reform bill next week, since dubbed the JUSTICE Act. Scott said the bill looks to include provisions for increasing transparency on how often deadly force and no-knock warrants are used.

Oklahoma City police last week released records of a May 2019 arrest that showed a black man, 42-year-old Derrick Scott, pleading with officers, "I can't breathe." A medical examiner's report found Scott died while in police custody due to the physical restraint methods, recent methamphetamine use, heart disease and emphysema. The footage was released at the request of Scott's family and local Black Lives Matter leaders who wanted more details on his death.

Newsweek reached out to Lankford's office for additional comments on national police reform legislation Sunday afternoon. He is expected to support the forthcoming GOP Senate bill.