House to hold hearing on police brutality, racial profiling next week

June 4 (UPI) -- Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee say they will hold a hearing Wednesday to probe racial profiling and police brutality in the wake of widespread protests against the police killing of George Floyd.

Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said Wednesday the hearing will also examine "lost trust between police departments and the communities they serve."

"There are now protests taking place in every state as people take a stand against police brutality and racism," he said. "People are rightfully upset, they are frustrated, and they want to be heard. They want real change, not meaningless words."

Nadler said the judiciary committee is working "very closely" with the Congressional Black Caucus to determine how best to craft a package of reform measures addressing police brutality and racial inequality in the coming weeks.

"Our nation needs Congress to act," added Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus and a member of the judiciary committee. "This is our moral moment -- we must look at legislation to address laws that shield police officers from ever being accountable."

Bass called for the creation a national database of "abusive law enforcement officers" to prevent them from gaining employment in other jurisdictions and said the passage of a police reform package would represent a historic victory after decades of failed efforts.

"For years, we have introduced legislation addressing police brutality," she said. "This hearing is our next step in implementing change to our system. "

Other reform measures which could be considered include a federal "use-of-force" standard for police officers, a ban on aggressive restraint techniques such as choke holds and ending the "qualified immunity doctrine" protecting police officers from lawsuits, Politico reported.