Washington State Enacts Police Reform a Year After George Floydâs Death
Gov. Jay Inslee signed 12 bills into law that include bans on chokeholds and no-knock warrants, making Washington the latest state to pass sweeping police reforms.
Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington shaking hands with State Representative Jesse Johnson after signing legislation on police accountability.Credit.Tony Overman/The News Tribune, via Associated Press
May 19, 2021, 6:23 p.m. ET
Washington became the latest state to enact sweeping police reforms in response to the police killing of George Floyd with the adoption this week of 12 new laws that ban chokeholds, require officers to announce their presence before raiding a home and call for the use of exhaustive de-escalation techniques before resorting to force.
With police reforms signed into law, the focus shifts to enforcement in Washington
Police reform advocates say they hope the package of bills signed by Governor Jay Inslee yesterday can be a strong base for more reform in the future. Author: Lionel Donovan (KING) Updated: 6:50 PM PDT May 19, 2021
OLYMPIA, Wash. Governor Jay Inslee made national headlines Tuesday when he signed sweeping police reforms into law.
Among the changes are requiring officers to step in if they see a fellow officer using excessive force and forming an office of Independent Investigations.
Community organizers say this is an important step in holding law enforcement responsible for their actions.
The bills also create an independent office to review the use of deadly force by police, make it easier to decertify police for bad acts, and require officers to use “reasonable care,” including exhausting de-escalation tactics, in carrying out their duties. The use of tear gas and car chases are restricted and it s easier to sue officers when they inflict injury.
“As of noon today, we will have the best, most comprehensive, most transparent, most effective police accountability laws in the United States,” Inslee, a Democrat, said before signing the bills.
Floyd s killing last May and the protests that followed prompted a wave of police reforms in dozens of states, from changes in use-of-force policies to greater accountability for officers. But few if any matched the scope of the changes being adopted in Washington.