DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The death of George Floyd served as an example for what police should and shouldn't do.

It is also a reminder of an on-going issue: excessive force. There have been moments in central Illinois when officers did cross the line.

One example is when a Riverton police officer head-butted a man who was already in cuffs. In 2019, a former Springfield police officer was found guilty for misconduct after bodycam video showed he was fighting a civilian. In 2018, a Champaign man claimed a settlement with the city of Champaign - this after suing the city and two Champaign police officers. 

From 2002 to 2011, statistics from the Bureau of Justice showed more than 700,000 people were threatened by police with excessive force nationwide. That includes shouting, cursing, hitting and pointing a weapon at a person. More than 500,000 people say police actually used excessive force. Decatur's police chief, James Getz, said staff are trained better. 

"We don't act like that, we don't train like that," Getz said. "It's just frustrating that we try and I know the sheriff [Chubby Brown] has been with me. Just try to build these relationships to do the right thing and its takes something like that [the situation with George Floyd] to set us back." 

The issue is a national one that sometimes escalates to national protests and demands for justice. It's also a problem central Illinois police vow to prevent.Â