Calif. Assembly approves police UOF reform bill

By: Alexei Koseff, San Francisco Chronicle

SACRAMENTO — After a year of protest and contentious negotiations, the state Assembly approved legislation Wednesday to tighten the rules for when police officers can open fire on suspects in California.

The unanimous vote to pass AB392 came after a deal last week between law enforcement groups and civil liberties advocates that cleared the way for the state to adopt one of the tightest use-of-force standards in the country. The bill now goes to the Senate.

It would direct police to “use deadly force only when necessary in defense of human life” and, when possible, to use techniques to de-escalate the situation before shooting. It does not explicitly define what would be considered “necessary,” though courts could consider the actions of both the officer and the suspect when determining whether the force was justified.

Full story: https://www.policeone.com/use-of-force/articles/483987006-Calif-Assembly-approves-police-UOF-reform-bill/