Members of the Minneapolis Municipal Council announced Sunday that the police will be "dismantled" in this American city where George Floyd died while arrested by a white policeman, in an incident that led to protests emerging across the country and around the world.
"We are committed to dismantling police forces as we know them in Minneapolis, and rebuilding a new model of public safety that actually keeps our community safe," Municipal Council President Lisa Binder told CNN.
Although Democrats have largely backed militant groups across the United States to condemn the killing of black men and women by law enforcement personnel, they have so far been cautious about protesters' calls to stop funding the police.
Senator Corey Booker said in an interview with NBC News on Sunday that he understood the sentiment that prompted "to stop funding the police" but would not use the phrase.
Hakim Jeffries, leader of the US House of Representatives Democrats and New York state, said he did not support any plans to cut police funding for his state, and told CNN, "It must be looked at on a case-by-case basis."
Police prosecution
Led by black lawmakers, Democrats are preparing to introduce a bill on Monday that opposes police violence and racial injustice, and includes facilitating the prosecution of officers who kill.
It is not yet clear whether the bill will include any cuts in federal funding for police departments.
US President Donald Trump used the case to attack Joe Biden, the former vice president and potential rival in the upcoming presidential election.
"Dull Joe Biden and the far-left Democrats want: to stop funding the police ... and I want great law enforcement forces with good funding. I want to impose law and order!" Trump said in a Tweet on Sunday.