Congressman Cohen Introduces the Deadly Force Independent Review Act

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, today introduced the Deadly Force Independent Review Act to require instances of deadly force are investigated in a way the public will find credible. Congressman Cohen introduced an earlier version of the measure in 2019.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“This bill would require an independent review of every use of deadly force by a federal law enforcement officer or agent. The killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis has shocked us all. We must reckon with the cruelty and apparent impunity of the Department of Homeland Security’s agencies, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol, and how the Administration is attempting — before our eyes, with lies — to cover up these killings. This bill is a necessary and urgent step to ensure accountability and reform.”

The Deadly Force Independent Review Act would require every law enforcement agency to establish a procedure to immediately, independently, and impartially review every use of deadly force, except those that are part of regular training. These investigations will need to conform to a uniform standard for such investigations developed by the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE). If the review is conducted by an entity other than the Department’s Inspector General, the respective Inspector General will review the investigation, findings, and report for thoroughness and compliance with the CIGIE guidelines. CIGIE will also compile statistics on these incidents and report regularly to Congress on their circumstances.

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