© 2025 WGCU News
PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Florida Lawmaker Proposes Bill Targeting Strangulation By Police Officers

George Floyd's death while in police custody sparked "Black Lives Matter" protests nationwide.
David
/
- stock.adobe.com
George Floyd's death while in police custody sparked "Black Lives Matter" protests nationwide.

About eight months after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis touched off nationwide protests, a Florida state senator has filed a bill that targets strangulation by police officers.

The bill (SB 730), filed Friday by Sen. Randolph Bracy, D-Orlando, could lead to officers facing third-degree felony charges if they strangle people under certain circumstances.

“A law enforcement officer commits the offense of strangulation by a law enforcement officer if while on duty the officer knowingly and intentionally impedes the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of an individual so as to create a risk of or cause great bodily harm or death by applying pressure on the throat or neck of the individual or by blocking the nose or mouth of the individual, including the use of a chokehold or similar restraint,” said the bill, filed for consideration during the legislative session that starts March 2.

Floyd, a Black man, died in May after a police officer kneeled on his neck during an arrest, preventing him from breathing.

Copyright 2021 WFSU. To see more, visit .

The News Service of Florida
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • Florida is the land of sunshine and good vibes, but when the sun goes down on Downtown Fort Myers, something ghastly takes over. The waterside community is home to spiritual abnormalities that have caused spine-tingling reactions for decades.WGCU’s Samuel Brucker took part in a Historic Downtown Tour to learn the horrific stories that have turned into urban legend and have given a taste of the macabre to Southwest Florida.
  • Adult Thorn Bugs are half-inch long insects that are “true bugs” (members of the insect Family Membracidae). They are native to South America, Central America, and many tropical islands. As with other members of this family, Thorn Bugs have sucking mouthparts that allow them to pierce plant tissues and drink plant sap. As a result, Thorn Bugs can cause the death of some twigs and potentially introduce diseases to the plant. However, in most cases, Thorn Bug populations are very low and damage caused by thorn bugs is minimal. The good news is that these insects do not feed on most native North American trees. Thorn bugs are an exotic invasive species in Florida that was likely introduced long ago along with an exotic tree species such as the Earleaf Acacia.Even today these insects feed primarily on exotic invasive trees and shrubs imported from tropical areas.
  • 70 competitors vied for tasty title in annual stone crab season tradition.