US Justice Dept. Obliges Federal Law Enforcement To Interfere To Prevent Power Abuse

The US Justice Department has modified its use-of-force policies due to ongoing outrage at police violence and has obliged federal law enforcement to intervene if they see other officers overstepping their powers, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing a relevant mem

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th May, 2022) The US Justice Department has modified its use-of-force policies due to ongoing outrage at police violence and has obliged federal law enforcement to intervene if they see other officers overstepping their powers, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing a relevant memo.

According to the newspaper, the modifications set out for the first time in 18 years were presented in the memo submitted by US Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday. The memo was later disseminated among heads of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the US Marshals Service and the US Federal Bureau of Prisons.

"Officers will be trained in, and must recognize and act upon, the affirmative duty to intervene to prevent or stop, as appropriate, any officer from engaging in excessive force or any other use of force that violates the Constitution, other federal laws, or Department policies on the reasonable use of force," a copy of the memo read, as quoted by the newspaper.

The changes scheduled to go into force on July 19 do not apply to state and local police, or law enforcement authorities outside the justice department, the Washington Post reported.

Starting in May 2020, a wave of protests and riots against police violence and racial injustice rippled across the United States and other parts of the world. Massive social unrest was sparked by the death of African-American George Floyd, who passed away in police custody in Minneapolis. After Floyd's death, the Black Lives Matter movement, which stands against racially motivated violence towards black people, have intensified its activities.