WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed the tragic death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, who was brutally beaten by several Memphis police officers, and urged the Department of Justice to quickly implement his Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act, which became law last month and will equip law enforcement officers with the tools to diffuse dangerous situations. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

“The killing of Tyre Nichols has reignited a national debate about the excessive use of force by police, and rightfully so. This unarmed 29-year-old was brutally beaten by Memphis police officers in an egregious excessive use of force.” 

“Within our Republican conference, Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina has been our leader on police reform matters, and I’ve been proud to work with him on bills to help improve policing in our communities and public safety. One of those bills was the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act, which, by the way, was just signed into law last month.”

“This new law will ensure that all police officers have the opportunity to acquire skills to defuse a potentially dangerous situation, like the one we saw in Memphis. Use of force should only come into play when absolutely necessary, and this legislation will provide law enforcement officers with the knowledge of what alternatives are available to them.”

“This has the potential to save lives and to prevent another senseless and entirely preventable tragedy like this from reoccurring. I’m glad this legislation is now the law of the land, and the Department of Justice must implement it as quickly as possible.”