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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 24 april 2019

California seeks compromise on rules for shootings by police

By DON THOMPSON comment on the Senate
Associated Press committee’s action.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Law enforcement lead-
— California lawmakers ers said the proposal they
worked to find common support incorporates best
ground Tuesday between practices from around the
law enforcement groups country. It would require
and reformers intent on officers to provide medi-
adopting first-in-the-nation cal help to injured suspects
standards designed to limit and to report and stop any
fatal shootings by police. excessive force they see
A state Senate commit- used by other officers.
tee tied together a police- The training includes how
backed measure requiring to better respond to men-
more training with a com- tal health crises, which Pro-
peting proposal allowing tect California president
police to kill only if they Robert Harris said account
have exhausted non-lethal for nearly 25% of all fatal
efforts to resolve or de-es- officer-involved shootings.
calate a situation. The fatal Law enforcement groups
police shooting of unarmed formed the nonprofit to
vandalism suspect Stephon promote their alternative
Clark in Sacramento last to changing the legal stan-
year inspired the latter. dard for using force.
“To look at these two bills to- The legislation “will set a
gether is a powerful, pow- national precedent by es-
erful combination, from my In this April 8, 2019, file photo, Malaki Seku Amen holds up an American flag with the names of tablishing the most com-
perspective,” said Demo- people shot and killed by law enforcement officers, as he joins other in support of a bill that would prehensive legislative solu-
cratic Sen. Holly Mitchell of restrict the use of deadly force by police in Sacramento, Calif. tion to one of the most criti-
Los Angeles. Associated Press cal issues facing America
The move aims to force table, negotiating in good revised,” said Sen. Nancy had a gun, and one was today,” said Brian Marvel,
negotiations between the faith, trying to work towards Skinner, a Democrat from found in his vehicle, but he president of Peace Officers
sides by combining the a solution.” Berkeley who chairs the was unarmed when they Research Association of
most progressive elements The police-backed mea- Senate public safety com- opened fire in a Walmart California.
of each plan. It also may sure would set a national mittee and engineered the parking lot. Democratic Sen. Steven
mean no changes will ulti- precedent by creating surprise development to “He left behind five boys, Bradford of Compton
mately become law for the statewide guidelines on combine the measures. who are now having to wasn’t persuaded either
second consecutive year, when officers can use lethal She said she hopes the grow up without their fa- plan would make much
unless the sides can reach force and requiring that committee’s move will ther, not having him there difference. He didn’t vote
agreement on a conten- every officer be trained in lead to compromise af- for their birthday or Christ- as the combined measure
tious and highly emotional ways to avoid opening fire. ter listening to dozens of mas,” she said, her voice cleared the committee
issue. As part of the compromise opponents of the original cracking. “Police officers with bipartisan support.
“We want to be able to effort, Caballero stripped police-backed legislation shouldn’t be shooting peo- “We’re dealing with a rac-
make some change, and her proposal of a section to describe their loved ones’ ple if they’re not in immi- ist society, and we want to
it has to be substantive enshrine in law current stan- deaths in confrontations nent danger.” hide behind all these other
change,” said Democratic dards that let officers kill if with police. Democratic Assembly- laws and anything else,” he
Sen. Anna Caballero of Sa- they reasonably believe They included Theresa woman Shirley Weber of said. “This is straight about
linas, who is sponsoring the they or others are in immi- Smith, founder of the Law San Diego, who proposed race, and all the training
police-backed legislation. nent danger. “We clearly Enforcement Accountabil- the tougher restrictions in the world — unless you
If the reformer-backed por- have ... many, many, many ity Network, whose son, on police, has not yet sat change your heart and
tion fails, “then it all disap- people up and down the Caesar Ray Cruz, was killed down with law enforce- your mind — will not have
pears,” Caballero said. state, and experts, who by Anaheim police nearly a ment negotiators, said her any effect on how our
“And so what this does is feel that California’s use-of- decade ago. Police were spokesman, Joe Kocurek. policing happens in this
it keeps everybody at the force standard should be told that the 35-year-old He did not immediately country.”q