Power

Missouri Lawmakers: Police Reforms Needed in Wake of Michael Brown’s Killing

The Missouri General Assembly began the 2015 legislative session Wednesday with a focus on state laws and policies related to the killing of unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown, and the subsequent police crackdown last year in Ferguson.

The Missouri General Assembly began the 2015 legislative session Wednesday with a focus on state laws and policies related to the killing of unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown, and the subsequent police crackdown last year in Ferguson. Shutterstock

The Missouri General Assembly began the 2015 legislative session Wednesday with a focus on state laws and policies related to the killing of unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown, and the subsequent police crackdown last year in Ferguson.

After a grand jury declined to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the killing of Brown, protests began not just in Ferguson, Missouri, but throughout the country. Activists have called for law enforcement reforms to address incidents of police brutality, often against unarmed people of color.

“We’ve got a new set of issues that I think are more pressing now after everything that’s happened in Ferguson. I anticipate a lot of conversation about that,” incoming House Majority Leader Todd Richardson (R-Poplar Bluff) told the Associated Press.

Lawmakers from St. Louis and the communities near Ferguson have been those most aggressive in pushing for legislation.

Rep. Randy Dunn (D-Kansas City) said that the recent events in Ferguson will “weigh heavily” on the upcoming legislative session. Dunn has not yet filed any bills directly related to Ferguson, but says he is working on those issues.

“It’s dealing with everything from criminal background checks for police officers, mental health evaluations, community training for police officers as well as legislation as to when police officers can use deadly force,” Dunn told KSHB.

Sen. Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis) and Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D-University City) were among lawmakers who pre-filed legislation to address some of the law enforcement-related issues.

“This is the 21st century. Police training and tactics from the 1930s have become outdated. As society evolves, so too must our protectors,” Chappelle-Nadal said in a statement.

Chappelle-Nadal represents a district that includes Ferguson. She participated in the protests after the death of Brown and has been an outspoken critic of Gov. Jay Nixon.

Chappelle-Nadal pre-filed SB 21, which would change the procedures the governor must follow after declaring a state of emergency due to civil unrest, the accreditation requirements of law enforcement agencies, and the procedures for use of force against civil protests.

Wilson’s actions in the shooting death of Brown have raised questions about when and how law enforcement should be allowed to use deadly force. Bills filed by Chappelle-Nadal and Nasheed would each address the use of deadly force by police officers.

Nasheed pre-filed SB 42, which would change require that law enforcement use deadly force “only when all other means of apprehension have been exhausted or are unavailable, the officer has warned the suspect, and the officer reasonably believes the suspect is attempting to escape and possesses a deadly weapon.”

Under current law, an officer may use deadly force when he or she reasonably believes force is immediately necessary to effect an arrest and the suspect has committed or attempted to commit a felony, is attempting to escape by use of a deadly weapon, or may endanger life or seriously injure another person.

The bill would also require that any police officer who uses deadly force against an unarmed person who is at least 20 feet away must be “immediately suspended from duty without pay until the incident has been fully investigated.”

Nasheed also pre-filed SB 43, which would require law enforcement agencies in the state to have written policies regarding the investigation of incidents of police officer-involved deaths.

Rep. Brandon Ellington (D-Kansas City), the new chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, has pre-filed several pieces of legislation to address issues related to the events in Ferguson.

Among the legislation Ellington has introduced is a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment that would repeal the authorization for convening grand juries. Ellington pre-filed the resolution, HJ 17, because he believes that grand juries undermine public trust in the legal system.

“In light of the biased grand jury proceedings that took place in the Michael Brown case, Missourians should have the chance to consider whether the antiquated grand jury process still serves a legitimate purpose in our modern criminal justice system,” Ellington said in a statement.

Ellington also pre-filed two bills, HB 75 and HB 76, that would require uniformed law enforcement officers to wear a video camera while on duty. The bill would mandate that a recording of any interaction between a law enforcement officer and a member of the public be saved for 30 days.

“That’s something that I think is a necessity not only when we look at what happened in Ferguson, but when we look at inner-city interactions between law enforcement,” Ellington told KCTV.