Law enforcement reform bills advance in Olympia
Bills aim to address police use of force
The bills move through legislation, addressing how and when police could implement use of force. Q13 Steve Kiggins reports.
SEATTLE - A series of bills aiming to restrict a police officer’s use of force is moving through the legislature in Olympia.
Among them is House Bill 1054, which passed through the Senate on Tuesday. The legislation would standardize some law enforcement tactics, including when police can deploy tear gas or subdue a suspect using a chokehold.
Multiple other proposals are also being debated by lawmakers. Many are aimed to hold police officers accountable for their actions. Many of the bills are sponsored by grassroots organizations which are often comprised of families that have lost loved ones due to a police officer’s lethal force.
by Matt Baume • Mar 17, 2021 at 10:30 am
Police ready themselves on Capitol Hill in June of 2020. PHOTO BY TRISTAN FAIRCHOK
On one side, you have the families of people killed by police officers, a coalition of criminal justice reformers, and the mayor of Tacoma. On the other side: Cops. Sponsored
This past Monday, the Senate Law & Justice Committee heard public testimony on one of the highest-profile bills to be introduced in response to last summer’s protests over police violence, and it was gut-wrenching. The bill in question is HB 1267, and it would establish an Office of Independent Investigations in the Governor’s office to investigate deadly force incidents involving police.