Proposed changes to Washington’s deadly-force law could be soon be addressed at the ballot box as signatures are submitted for a statewide initiative.
The group De-Escalate Washington was expected Thursday to submit to the Secretary of State’s Office 360-thousand signatures in support of I-940, which would make it easier to prosecute law enforcement officers for alleged misuse of deadly force. Some 260-thousand valid signatures of registered voters are needed to qualify.
Currently, an officer can’t be convicted of a crime for using deadly force if he or she acted in good faith and without malice, or what the law calls “evil intent.”
A 2105 report by the Seattle Times says that makes it nearly impossible for prosecutors to bring criminal charges even if they find an officer committed a wrongful killing.
I-940 would change the law to a more detailed, multi-part threshold that considers what a “reasonable officer” might have done under the circumstances. It would also take into account an officer’s intentions to determine if she or he acted in good faith. The initiative also requires more de-escalation and mental-health training for law enforcement officers.
If state lawmakers don’t approve I-940 during their 2018 session, the initiative will go before voters later in the year. If legislators approve an amended version, both proposals would go to the ballot.
Law-enforcement groups have protested changes, saying the new legal standard could prompt officers to hesitate in ways that could endanger themselves and others. (The Seattle Times)
