A California lawmaker is introducing a legislation aiming to reduce fatal use of force.
On Tuesday, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) introduced Police Accountability and Community Protection Act (AB 931). Under the current law, police use of deadly force must be “objectively reasonable.” The newly introduced bill would make two key changes to the current policy. AB 931 would only allow officers to use deadly force if necessary to prevent imminent and serious bodily injury or death, after resorting to alternatives like verbal warning or nonlethal force to deescalate the situation. It would also examine if an officer’s action prior to a killing was negligent and determine if those actions placed the officer in harm’s way.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) released a statement on the proposed legislation arguing that AB 931 is not sound policy and that it will put officers in more dangerous encounters with suspects.
Guests:
Peter Bibring, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Southern California and director of police practices for the ACLU of California; the organization is sponsoring AB 931
Gary Ingemunson, independent counsel for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the labor union representing LAPD officers; he is also a former police officer