Governor Gavin Newsom Signs California Police Use-Of-Force Bill

Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill by Democratic Assemblymember Shirley Weber of San Diego that will restrict police use of deadly force to situations in which there is no other option. Backers of the bill say it will be one of the strongest use-of-force laws in the country.

"This is a time for healing, progress and looking forward. The bill goes to the heart of some of our most sacred principles, in which force should be exercised judiciously, with respect for human life and dignity. The bottom line is that deadly force should only be used when absolutely necessary," said Governor Newsom.

Weber says part of the intent of the new law will be to encourage law enforcement to train on and use de-escalation techniques like verbal persuasion and other crisis intervention methods.

"With the Governor’s signature, we are closer to a culture of policing in California that values and preserves human life," said the Assemblymember. "Working on this policy has been a high hill to climb, but what has lifted me up is the energy and the devotion of the families who have lost loved ones to these shootings. Our hope all along has been to save lives and to finally establish trust between law enforcement and communities of color."

The effort to clamp down on the use-of-force by police has been partly due to last year's killing of unarmed vandalism suspect Stephon Clark in Sacramento. Officers in that case said they thought Clark had a gun in his hand as he turned toward them in a dimly lit backyard, but it turned out to be his cell phone.

The Sacramento County District Attorney chose not to prosecute the officers after an investigation that included a review of body camera footage and other available evidence.