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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 10 april 2019

POLICE SHOOTINGS erything is worth it."
Continued from Front Elizabeth Medrano Escobe-
"It's time to make clear that do told lawmakers that Los
the sanctity of human life Angeles officers could have
is policing's highest prior- used other tactics instead
ity," said Democratic As- of killing her son, Christian
semblywoman Shirley We- Escobedo, last year. Police
ber of San Diego, adding said he was sleeping be-
later that her proposal "is hind a parked car with a
designed to change the loaded handgun.
culture of policing in Cali- "This bill can save mothers
fornia." from grieving the loss of
The committee's chairman, their children, which is what
Democratic Assemblyman I'm experiencing right now,"
Reggie Jones-Sawyer of Medrano said, choking up.
Los Angeles, said a tougher Ciara Hamilton testified
standard will do little good how Barstow police killed
without buy-in from law en- her cousin, Diante Yarber,
forcement organizations. last year after they said
Those groups are support- the car theft suspect hit
ing a different plan, which two squad cars and nearly
is also before lawmakers, struck an officer. His fam-
to require that every de- ily says the car was barely
partment have policies on moving and that Yarber,
when officers should use who was black, might have
de-escalation tactics and lived had officers provided
other alternatives to dead- immediate medical atten-
ly force. tion.
Weber's measure got par- "What does that tell us
ty-line support. The eight- about policing in California
member panel's two Re- and America? It's that black
publicans opposed the and brown people are not
measure they said could safe from state-sanctioned
make officers hesitate for a violence," Hamilton said. Elizabeth Medrano Escobedo, left, mother of Christian Escobedo, who was killed by Los Angeles
police, comforts Ciara Hamilton, whose cousin Diante Yarber was killed by Barstow police, during
fatal second if they have to The debate resonated per- an Assembly hearing on legislation to restrict the use of deadly force by police, Tuesday, April 9,
consider alternatives to le- sonally for lawmakers. 2019, in Sacramento, Calif.
thal force. Democratic Assembly- Associated Press
That's what Sacramento woman Sydney Kamlager-
County Deputy Sheriff Julie Dove of Los Angeles tear- want any of us to live in of-force expert, called We- measure would enshrine
Robertson faced. She testi- fully recounted finding four fear." Republican Assem- ber's measure "an exercise court standards into law, al-
fied how her partner, Mark officers in her home re- blyman Tom Lackey of in legal futility" because he lowing officers to use dead-
Stasyuk, died last fall during sponding to a false burglar Palmdale, who spent 28 predicts judges will interpret ly force when they have a
a gunfight and she hesi- alarm last fall. They treated years as a highway patrol- the language the same reasonable fear of being
tated as the suspect shot her respectfully, yet Kam- man, recalled how a fellow way they do court rulings. harmed. The standard has
at her with only his back ex- lager-Dove, who is black, officer killed someone in Prosecutors would have to made it rare for officers to
posed. said she started shaking the line of duty and even- prove an officer was crimi- be charged and rarer still to
"I recall in that moment and crying. tually ended his own life. nally negligent, which car- be convicted.
thinking that if I were to "And I realized I was cry- "When peace officers are ries a high legal burden. Law enforcement groups
shoot him in the back, I ing because I was afraid. placed in a position to Weber acknowledges of- plan to amend the legisla-
would be the next officer in I didn't want to make any where they feel like they ficers would have to egre- tion "to ensure that we are
the news being scrutinized sudden movements," she have to use deadly force, giously violate a policy to truly putting forward the
for my actions," Robertson said. no one can really under- face charges but expects most comprehensive legis-
said. "The thought of hav- Kamlager-Dove broke stand that unless you've the standard would deter lative solution to effectively
ing to second-guess my down as she urged police been in that position," Lack- shootings. A Senate com- reduce the use of force in
actions in that moment is organizations and reform- ey said. mittee is expected to con- our state," California Police
frightening. ... This bill makes ers to reach consensus "be- Plumas County Sheriff's sider a police-backed al- Chiefs Association presi-
me wonder if sacrificing ev- cause this hurts. ... I don't Deputy Ed Obayashi, a use- ternative in two weeks. That dent Ron Lawrence said.q