Ahead of the vote, Kristina Roth, Senior Program Officer for Criminal Justice Programs at Amnesty International USA said:
“Tomorrow, voters have a chance to make history by becoming the first state to require independent investigations when police cause serious injury or employ deadly force as required by a state’s use of force law. This initiative is a major step forward in holding police accountable when they unlawfully use lethal force, and could potentially save lives by preventing lethal encounters before they happen.
“Every state in the U.S. has laws that fall short of meeting the international standard for the limited occasions when police can use lethal force. While not perfect, this initiative would be a huge step forward and would set an example for better practices, true justice, and accountability.”
Background:
Amnesty International USA’s report, Deadly Force: Police Use of Lethal Force in the United States has documented how the United States has failed to ensure that domestic legislation meets international human rights law and standards on the use of lethal force by law enforcement officers.