They also are advised to use less-than-lethal options when possible. In cases where no crime has been committed or is about to be committed, or there isn’t an imminent threat of harm to someone, officers are advised to consider leaving the scene as one type of possible de-escalation tactic. However, when possible, any such use of force is supposed to be done as a last resort, after other attempts to avoid using deadly force have been exhausted. ![]() Such a circumstance would count as an “imminent threat” to the officer’s safety, even under the new use-of-force law. If someone pulls a knife, gun, or other weapon on an officer, the officer is still allowed to use physical - or even deadly - force against that person. “The idea that the ability to use force is a prerequisite to engaging in investigative stops or responding to individuals in crisis is absurd.”Īt the same time, whether or not police respond to welfare calls has always been up to individual departments, so it’s possible that some agencies may pull back or reduce how often they respond to those types of calls. “None of these laws in any way prohibit agencies from responding to calls for service,” interim Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz wrote in a statement last week. Other law enforcement officials agree that there’s nothing stopping police from responding to mental health calls, although the new law does require officers to slow down and try to de-escalate before using physical force. He said that under the state’s Involuntary Treatment Act, officers can still assist in transporting someone to get treatment, either because the person poses a danger to someone or has committed a crime, or because a designated crisis responder evaluated that person as being at risk of harming themselves. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland, who chairs the House Public Safety Committee. “Nothing we enacted this year prevents them from responding to calls or showing up at the scene,” said state Rep. The lawmakers behind the new legislation say that’s bunk. Others have said the new limits make it so there’s little point in officers responding to mental health calls at all. ![]() Some police chiefs and sheriffs have interpreted the law to say that they can’t physically restrain someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis. Officers also can use physical force to protect against “an imminent threat of bodily injury,” either to the officer, the person the officer is responding to, or someone else. According to the new law, police are allowed to use physical force when there is probable cause to make an arrest for a crime, as well as to prevent someone from escaping after they’ve been arrested or jailed. HB 1310 limits the situations in which officers can use physical force. Here’s more information about what Washington’s new police accountability laws do and don’t do. The main laws at issue are House Bill 1310, which establishes new use-of-force standards for police, and House Bill 1054, which limits the use of certain police tactics, such as vehicle pursuits and neck restraints.
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