U.S.

California's New Bill Would Limit When Police Can Use Deadly Force

It would change the standard for deadly use of force from "reasonable" to "necessary."

California's New Bill Would Limit When Police Can Use Deadly Force
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SMS

California lawmakers proposed a bill to limit when police officers can use deadly force. 

The Police Accountability and Community Protection Act says officers  can open fire "only when it is necessary to prevent imminent and serious bodily injury or death."

It shifts the standard for deadly force from "reasonable" to "necessary" in an attempt to get officers to try to de-escalate the situation before firing their weapons. 

The move follows the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man in his grandmother's backyard by Sacramento police officers.