The California State Assembly has voted 67 to 0 (with 13 members abstaining) to pass AB-392. That’s the bill that would make it harder for law enforcement officers to legally kill a civilian. If AB-392 is signed into law, police would only be able to use lethal force if “necessary” to defend human life. The current standard, established by the U.S. Supreme Court, allows the lethal use of force if the split-second decision to pull the trigger is “reasonable.” The bill now progresses to the State Senate, where a similar version of the proposal died in committee last year. That said, earlier this week, the State Senate unanimously passed a police-backed “companion” bill . That proposal, by local Democratic Senator Anna Caballero would provide more use-of-force training for law enforcement officers.
