Hannity calls for abolishing chokeholds: Develop ‘rigorous system’ to hold ‘crooked cops accountable’

Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday called for police departments across the country to abolish chokeholds “unless it’s a matter of life and death,” arguing if such measures were in place “what should never have happened” to George Floyd could have been avoided.

“We should always as one American family strive to make this country a better place or as we say a more perfect union,” Hannity said in his opening monologue on Monday. “That’s why the president and his administration, they say, we’re going to work with the police. We’ll work with community members. We’ll set very clear guidelines and practices and develop a rigorous system to hold those crooked bad cops accountable.” 

“I’ve been saying it for years. We need bodycams on every cop. We need cameras in every [police] car. It’s good for the cops, it’s good for those people that they might be arresting or having a dealing with,” he said.

“And, by the way, they need training, regular training and more training than just having one more option on their side of their vest. And, by the way, abolishing those chokeholds unless it’s a life and death moment,” Hannity said. “You can’t put any on somebody’s neck for eight-plus minutes and ever expect any different outcome than what should never have happened but did happen.”

Hannity separately said he opposed calls to defund the police, saying that would be a huge mistake. 

Debates over reforming police have exploded since the death on Memorial Day of George Floyd, who was killed in police custody after an officer pinned him to the ground, putting his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd, 46, was unarmed. His funeral in Houston is Tuesday.

The officer, Derek Chauvin, is now facing second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges. Thee other officers face charges of aiding and abetting.

House Democrats unveiled a reform bill around policing policies on Monday. The bill includes prohibiting the use of chokeholds while allowing the Justice Department Civil Rights Division subpoena power to investigate police departments on the local level.