On Monday the California Senate passed a bill aimed at reducing law enforcement’s use of deadly force.
What We Know:
- The bill changes the circumstances under which an officer is permitted to use deadly force. The law previously stated homicide committed by an officer is “justifiable when necessarily committed in arresting a person who has committed a felony and the person is fleeing or resisting such arrest.”
- Yahoo News reported the law was amended to allow deadly force only in situations where an “officer reasonably believes… that deadly force is necessary to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury.”
- By changing the language of the bill, lawmakers are raising the standards for the authorities to use fatal tactics in the field. Increasing these standards should reduce the number of casualties.
- Justifying the bill, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, the bill’s co-author, stated, “Police officers should never take a human life when there are other alternatives.”
- The bill passed in a 28-1 vote and is awaiting the signature of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is in favor of the bill.
- This is a step in the right direction for California, a state with one of the highest rates of police shootings in the country according to a report by The New York Times.
This bill could be a promising move in the fight against police brutality.
