Aug. 19 (UPI) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law restricting law enforcement’s use of deadly force Monday, calling for “respect for human life and dignity.”
The legislation, AB 392, updates the state’s guidelines on when police may use deadly force. It requires officers to focus on de-escalation and other techniques, and to resort to deadly force “only when necessary.” Under previous guidelines, police officers were allowed to use deadly force “whenever reasonable.”
“This is a time for healing, progress and looking forward,” Newsom said during a signing ceremony. “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.”
Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, a Democrat who authored the bill, said it will change policing culture in the state.
“People of color have often had a different kind of justice than others in the nation,” she said at the signing ceremony. “We deserve fairness and justice.”
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