California Department Institutes Tighter Restrictions on Foot Pursuits

The Sacramento (CA) Police Department is reportedly making changes to its foot pursuit policy in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Stephon Clark after chasing him into the backyard of his grandmother's house.

According to the Sacramento Bee , "foot pursuits in risky circumstances like the one that ended Clark's life may be discouraged. Instead, officers will be asked to weigh their own safety, the safety of the public and the importance of apprehending the person before and during a pursuit."

"(I)t's really a policy to give direction and guidance ... around what our officers are supposed to do, what they're supposed to think about, what they're supposed to weigh anytime they get into a situation when they're chasing after a suspect," said Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn in an interview with The Bee .

But Hahn said the policy — which went into effect July 26 — is a direct result of the Clark shooting and is the first major policy change the department has instituted after that incident.