Washington Voters Back Changes to Deadly Force Standards

Law enforcement officers in Washington will face different standards for incidents involving deadly force now that Initiative 940 has reportedly passed with 60% of the vote statewide.

Law enforcement officers in Washington will face different standards for incidents involving deadly force now that Initiative 940 has reportedly passed with 60% of the vote statewide. In King County, support exceeded 70%, reports the Seattle Times.

Passage of the measure means that prosecutors will no longer have to prove law enforcement officers acted with "evil intent" — or so-called "malice" — when considering whether to file criminal charges such as manslaughter. Washington is the only state with such restrictive language.

I-940 also requires de-escalation and mental-health training for police; requires officers to administer first aid to a victim of deadly force; and requires independent investigations into the use of deadly force.

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