It’s a good first step, but I’m not sure if it’ll have any real effect.
California lawmakers propose legislation restricting when police can shoot
California state lawmakers are proposing legislation that would impose new restrictions on when a law enforcement officer can open fire.
Under the legislation, officers would only be allowed to open fire if “there were no other reasonable alternatives to the use of deadly force." The Associated Press first reported the legislation, which is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups.
The proposal comes after the fatal police shooting of Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man in Sacramento.
Clark was shot by Sacramento police last month while unarmed in the backyard of his grandmother’s house.
The legislation would shift the current “reasonable force” rule to a “necessary force” standard, according to the AP.