“The death of George Floyd was the result of a truly heinous act. As a former member of law enforcement, it is acts like these that remind us that there are bad people in every profession, and those involved in this tragedy should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

“With that said, the true underlying issue of this act is what we need to address. Racism, hate and intolerance of any kind should never be tolerated, and this is an ideal that I believe to be held by most members of law enforcement. Next week my colleagues and I will be taking up legislation to address these systemic issues, and I look forward to passing meaningful legislation that shuts out bigotry of any kind, while simultaneously ensuring that those individuals who put their lives at risk every day to uphold New York State Law are afforded the protections they deserve.”