After police killed an unarmed black man in his grandparents' backyard, activists set out to change California law, hoping to make it easier to prosecute police who kill. That's sparked a heated debate in the state Capitol between families who have lost loved ones to police and law enforcement officers who face split-second decisions while performing a dangerous job. CalMatters reporter Laurel Rosenhall explores California's attempt to curb police shootings as politicians consider the nation's toughest statewide standard for justifying deadly force. Produced in collaboration with Studiotobe.
The first episode of Force of Law delves into how California got to this point, looking back at the decade since police shot and killed Oscar Grant in Oakland and the momentum created by last year’s death of Stephon Clark in Sacramento.
Lobbying is under way in Sacramento for two vastly different approaches to reduce police shootings. Victims’ families and civil rights advocates are pushing a tougher standard for police to use deadly force, while law enforcement officers promote a plan to increase training.
Force of Law host Laurel Rosenhall moderated a panel in Sacramento on police misconduct and transparency in California.
For more than a year, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber has been working on a bill meant to curb police shootings by limiting when police can use deadly force. She persevered through political setbacks and failed attempts at compromise before landing on a version that now appears likely to become law.
The latest episode of Force of Law focuses on the risks officers face on the job and explains why many in law enforcement say the final version of the bill no longer puts them in greater danger.
As California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the bill setting a tougher standard for police to use deadly force, the team behind Force Of Law discusses what we’ve learned in reporting this series and what we have in store for the rest of the season.
Now that California has passed new laws meant to reduce police shootings, a key question is how much difference they’ll make in the ways officers respond to calls to help people in mental crisis.
As California debated a new law limiting when police can use deadly force, advocates pointed to Seattle as an example of a place that's benefitted from a similar policy. This season finale explores how Seattle's experience may inform California's future, as the most populous state adapts to new laws that require more de-escalation training and limits on when police can shoot.
