LVMPD updates use of force policy days before George Floyd protests.
Jeremy Chen reports.
SAYS...IT DID THAT ABOUT A WEEK AND AHALF BEFORE PROTESTS OVERGEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH BROKE OUT.13 ACTION NEWS REPORTER JEREMYCHEN SPOKE WITH A FORMERASSISTANT SHERIFF- HE'S LIVE TOBREAK DOWN THE UPDATED POLICY.METRO SAYS THIS IS THE MOSTSIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO THEPOLICY SINCE 2012- AND PLACES ACLEAR FOCUS ON DE- ESCALATIONTHE USE OF FORCE BY POLICE-BEING PLACED UNDER SCRUTINYAFTER THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYDIN MINNEAPOLIS JUST DAYSBEFORE-METRO POLICE OVERHAULEDIT'S USE OF FORCE POLICYEMPHASIZING DE-ESCALATION."AS POLICE, WE WANT TO USE THELEAST AMOUNT OF FORCE, ANDOBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T WANT TO USEANY FORCE IF YOU CAN."ASSEMBLYMAN AND FORMER METROASSISTANT SHERIFF TOM ROBERTSSAYS- IT'S A BEST PRACTICE THEDEPARTMENT IS PURSUING.HE BELIEVES IT'S ONE WAY OFBUILDING COMMUNITY TRUST."HOW DO WE FIND THE BALANCE TOWHERE WE INSTILL TRUST IN THECOMMUNITY, BUT AT THE SAMETIME, GIVE OUR POLICE OFFICERS,THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO DOTHE JOB EFFECTIVELY AS WE ASKTHEM TO." THE REVISED USE OFROBERTS SAYS IT'S AN IMPORTANTSKILL- THAT COULD HAVE BEENUSED IN THE ARREST OF GEORGEFLOYD TO AVOID ESCALATION."THEY GO TO ESCORT HIM TO THECAR AND HE TELLS THEM HE HASCLAUSTROPHOBIA AND CAN'T BE PUTIN THE BACK OF THE CAR BUTRATHER THAN COMMUNICATE THROUGHTHAT, THEY FORCED HIM IN THECAR WHICH BRINGS US TO WHERE WEARE TODAY." ROBERTS BELIEVESMETRO HAS BEEN SETTING THE"COULD THERE BE CHALLENGES ANDTHINGS WE NEED TO DO BETTER,AND IF THECOMMUNITY SAYS THERE IS, THAT'STHE REALITY, WE NEED TO BEBETTER."METRO'S USE OF FORCE POLICY-ALSO HAS A SECTION ON ANOFFICER'S DUTY TO INTERVENE IFTHEY SEE EXCESSIVE FORCE BEINGUSED BY A FELLOW OFFICER.JEREMY CHEN 13 ACTION NEWS.PRIOR TO METRO UPDATING ITS USE
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office has updated its use of force policy twice in less than a week.
