ST. LOUIS, MO (KMOX) - A St. Louis Representative is calling for statewide police reforms -- including a ban on chokeholds by police.
"I don't think there is a need for that practice and by statutorily banning it, we are eliminating any ambiguity or gray area about its use," says Democrat Steven Roberts, Chairman of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus.
Roberts says a man named Tory Sanders died in Mississippi County after having pressure applied to his neck by a law enforcement official.
Roberts is also calling for a requirement that police report and intervene if fellow officers use excessive force. He tells KMOX one of the biggest issues his community faces is an underlying mistrust of police.
"By having a duty to disclose and a duty to intervene I think we're creating a standard that officers have to hold each other accountable and if you're not doing that it can be considered an act of complicity," Roberts says.