Bill Watch

Bills Seek to Reduce Deadly Uses-of-Force and Increase Police Transparency After Stephon Clark Shooting

Taylor Walker
Written by Taylor Walker

This week, California lawmakers announced two new bills in response to public outrage over the death of Stephon Clark, who was fatally shot on March 18 by Sacramento police officers who believed the cell phone he was holding was a gun.

On Tuesday, flanked by community members and advocates, as well as a member of Stephon Clark’s family, Assemblymembers Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) and Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) introduced AB 931—the Police Accountability and Community Protection Act—a bill that would change the circumstances under which officers can use deadly force.

Current law says that officers can use deadly force when “objectively reasonable”—when another officer with similar training and experience would have behaved similarly under the same circumstances.

“It’s time for California to modernize our century-old deadly force standard,” said Assemblymember Kevin McCarty. “Our current law enforcement use of force threshold does not work. Revising California’s use of force standard will help law enforcement transition to a police system that can prevent the deaths of unarmed individuals and build much needed public confidence in how we keep all our communities safe.”

AB 931 would permit officers to use deadly force only to prevent imminent bodily harm or death, and when there are no reasonable alternatives to de-escalate the situation through verbal warnings, persuasion, or other non-lethal efforts. Under the bill, prosecutors would also be able to look at an officer’s actions leading up to a deadly use of force, and whether those actions were “grossly negligent” and put the officer unnecessarily in danger.

“Existing use-of-force laws have made an encounter with law enforcement – no matter how ordinary and no matter whether an individual is unarmed or even cooperative – into one that ends in the death of a civilian,” Weber said. “The worst possible outcome is increasingly the only outcome, especially in communities of color.”

In announcing their bill, the legislators pointed out that only half of the 162 people police fatally shot in 2017 were armed with guns.

Weber and McCarty’s bill also garnered the support of the ACLU, Black Lives Matter, the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón.

“As a former police officer, police chief and current District Attorney, I’ve learned that policies that prioritize de-escalation are not at odds with officer safety,” Gascón said. “This legislation will enhance community trust, improve officer training, and make the job of policing and those they police safer.”

The Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS), however, disagreed with the bill’s supporters, and called for legislators to reject AB 931. “Assemblywoman Shirley Weber has introduced AB 931, seeking to criminalize law enforcement’s use of deadly force, and allowing prosecution for homicide if a prosecutor disagrees with a deputy’s tactical decisions prior to use of deadly force,” the ALADS Board of Directors said in a statement. “Her legislation eliminates the long-enshrined standard that such force be “reasonable,” and instead replaces it with a standardless term that such force be “necessary” while also disallowing a justifiable homicide defense if tactics prior to the shooting were “grossly negligent.”


Bill Two: Transparency and Police Personnel Files

The second law enforcement-related bill, SB 1421, aims to open up law enforcement personnel records to the public when officers use force or are found by their departments to have committed misconduct.

Most states have far more public access to peace officer records, including misconduct allegations, than California does. There’s even less access to police officer records in California than in Texas, for example, where the public gains access to personnel information once a law enforcement agency finds an officer has committed misconduct.

The California Public Records Act, in the name of government transparency and accountability, establishes the public’s right to view public records. But it has certain exceptions to the rule. Law enforcement personnel files fall under the “exemptions” category. And the Public Safety Officer Procedural Bill of Rights, sometimes called the Peace Officers Bill of Rights (POBR), prevents public release of officer discipline issues.

If passed, SB 1421 would force police agencies in California to publicly release records related to incidents in which officers use force—specifically, when they discharge their firearms or Tasers, use a weapon to strike a person’s head or neck, or use force that results in serious bodily harm or death. The bill would also make public records of on-duty sexual assault, including when cops exchange sex for leniency. Finally, SB 1421 would give the public access to records when officers are found to have been dishonest in the “reporting, investigation, or prosecution of a crime.”

The records would be redacted to remove some personal information, like the officer’s home address and family members’ names, as well as certain information about complainants and witnesses. Certain information would also be removed if “disclosure would cause an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy that clearly outweighs the strong public interest in records about misconduct by peace officers and custodial officers,” or if there was a specific reason that disclosing the information would pose a serious physical danger to the officer or others.

“The vast majority of our law enforcement officers have excellent records,” said Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), the bill’s author. “SB 1421 will help us hold accountable the few bad actors and build greater community trust in law enforcement.”

Peter Bibring, director of police practices at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, praised bill authors Skinner, Weber, and McCarty, who “heard and responded to the community’s call for action.” Bibring said that the high-profile deaths of Michael Brown, Stephon Clark, and so many others reveal that the nation’s laws are meant to “protect the police” rather than the people.

“For years, communities throughout the country have experienced policing in America that is unjust, racially discriminatory, and unnecessarily violent,” Bibring said. “While our hearts are broken by tragedies such as these, our resolve to fight for change will never be. Now, more than ever, we must change state laws to ensure that police are held accountable to us – the people they are meant to serve and protect.”


#EquityandJustice Part Two

California Senators Holly Mitchell and Ricardo Lara also teamed up again this year to produce a second package of juvenile and criminal justice reform bills.

The first noteworthy, SB 1391 would prohibit California courts from trying 14 and 15-year-olds in the adult criminal justice system.

“Research has debunked the myth that children are hardened criminals at age 14 and 15 and deserve punishment in the adult system,” Sen. Lara said. “In fact, 14 and 15-year-olds are far from being adults and Senate Bill 1391 keeps them in the juvenile justice system and guarantees they receive counseling and education so they are less likely to commit crimes in the future.”

A 2017 report authored by Human Impact Partners looked at state and federal data and the effects of trying kids as adults in California and found the “ineffective, biased, and harmful” practice to be disproportionately used on kids of color, and used at different rates depending on where kids lived in California. And kids who are transferred to the adult justice system are more likely to recidivate—and recidivate faster than kids convicted of the same crimes who stayed in the juvenile system, according to a 2010 study by the US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

The senators also reintroduced a bill from last year’s justice package, SB 439 which would ensure that children under the age of 12 are excluded from prosecution in juvenile court. The bill seeks to “promote the rights, health, and well-being of the child by curbing premature exposure to incarceration” and addressing the needs “underlying their alleged offenses via alternatives to prosecution, including child welfare, education, and healthcare.

There are at least 20 states that have established a minimum age at which a child can be prosecuted. California is not among those states. In 2015, 974 children under the age of 12 were referred for prosecution. Approximately 250 of those kids were prosecuted in juvenile court. Only 8% of the cases were sustained as true.

A third bill, SB 1050 would update exonerees’ criminal records to show that they had been wrongfully convicted. The bill would also ensure that newly released exonerees receive support and services like healthcare and job training to ease their transition back into their communities.

SB 1392 would eliminate a sentence enhancement that adds an extra year onto a person’s sentence for a prior prison term or felony jail term.

A related bill, SB 1393, would give courts discretion to strike 5-year enhancements for prior, serious felony convictions when a person is being charged with a new, serious felony.

With these two bills, Mitchell and Lara hope to address the fact that California has some of the harshest sentencing enhancements in the nation. The state has “more than 100 separate” sentencing enhancements based on a person’s current or past offenses, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

Sentencing enhancements add time to sentences beyond the base term, for things like prior convictions, using a firearm, shooting from a car, gang affiliation, and more. These enhancements can turn a sentence of a few years into one of multiple decades, and disproportionately affect poor and minority people.

“Sentencing enhancements for prior convictions result in extreme periods of incarceration and have been the primary drivers of prison overcrowding,” according to Mitchell and Lara.

A 2017 report from Californians for Safety and Justice, which focused on reducing the state’s prison population, found that approximately 80 percent of California prisoners are serving time that includes a mandatory enhancement.

The one-year enhancement for a prior felony affected one-third of all people convicted in California in 2017, according to the lawmakers.

“Our correctional system and its resources must be dedicated to corrections and rehabilitation, not incarceration,” Mitchell said.

70 Comments

  • During the times of the ancient Roman community, when the city’s communities would break out into riot (they use to call this the mob) the ruling class community would take some hapless person and throw him or her to the mob. The mob would take out all its rage on this unfortunate victim and in the most unpleasant fashion.It sometimes had the desired effect of calming the rioting communities ,so the ruling community could continue its rule in relative peace.

    They should call this bill “The right to prosecute police whenever politically expedient bill”. Our political community hates the fact that the cop community has civil rights. P.S. Don’t forget Gascon’s part in this, disgusting.

  • Did everyone see the guy with the pipe that was shaped like a gun? He took a combat stance when the police showed up. He’s dead.

    With this new law, the police that pulled the trigger would go to jail.

    If this passes, my blinders will be completely blacked out. Not just tinted like they are now, completely Fucking blacked out.

  • Hey Celeste,

    The article says, “Only half of the 162 people killed by police were armed with guns.” Why do you allow such a blatantly misleading quote to go unanswered?!?!? How many were armed with knives, bats, pipes or tried to take the LEO’s firearm? How about you actually, just once before I retire, be an unbiased journalist. You have to see how MISLEADING that statement is, yet you could care less because your agenda is to “fuck the police” any chance you get.

    Careful what you ask for. Very careful or you just might get it. Then when we’re gone, standing back watching, you will see how wonderful the people you advocate for truly are.

  • Sounds reasonable to me.

    Maj. Kong, no one forgets police officers have civil rights. You have the same rights I do, but you should not have more. And, you have the same as Stephon Clark, Ezel Ford and Eric Garner, and all of the other dead brothers, no less to be sure, but no more either. What you and Mr. Ownership forget is that you are employees, public servants. Your employer, in this case ultimately the public, can dictate how you do your job. If you do not like the terms of your employment, I respect that, but your employer can tell you how to do your job. And, I would respect you even more if you quit as a matter of principle, but you will not.

    Ownership, “[t]hen when we’re gone, standing back watching, you will see how wonderful the people you advocate for truly are.” Really. This is the problem with you and many of your angry brethren on the force. You think you are doing the public a favor and you think no one can tell you how to do your job. You are doing no one a favor and are paid well, with very generous pay and benefits. So much so, that you take about half of the city budget’s unrestricted fund. If you do not like the terms of your employment, quit. Be a man of principle, but do not stand to side because you do not like the rules and still feed at the government trough, on my dime. But, you lack the principle and the character to quit because your alternative is guarding a Brinks truck or a Walmart store, and the pay and benefits, do not compare. And, why keep whining and complaining to Celeste. That’s all folks.

  • Cf /reg you obviously haven’t even read the article, you’re trolls are boring, done with your attention whoring ,yawn

  • Reg,

    I play by the rules everyday. That’s how I’ve made it 30 years. If they want to change the rules, I will go right along with them and so will my level of service.

    Careful what you ask for.

  • My god what the hell is going on in Ca. I must admit the younger generation of police officers now hitting the streets lack good communication skills and are sometimes scared their own shadows but if this law moves forward it will be the end of police work. I don’t blame police today if they put full binders on. Let these ” communities of color” implode !

  • WaaaaHAAAAHAAA bitch moan Ownership and Kong (we call ya’ll fuck boy’s in the black community) CF you win!!! Thank you for saying some ish. Thank you for throwing principle at them bc trust me they have NONE. A War of words means nothing but the stat’s say a whole lot in only 4 month’s. Ur tryna threaten a female journalist with “careful what u ask for” the fuck?!?!? Ur the one’s who should really be careful bc ur day is coming…

  • I used to get up in the morning and I could not wait to go to work. Best job ever. I’m not bloodthirsty. I’m not stat driven. I just loved fighting crime. All this BS….now I am just counting down to my last day. Get me out of California. Get me out of police work….Damn that is sad….I used to tell my girl…”Do this job, you will love it like I do. Now I tell her…Do ANYTHING else!” This state is going doing in flames. I hope the Libs enjoy the bonfire and its aftermath.

  • Nobody is threatening, just stating a fact. This is just how you cop hating social justice sissies react, like you’re victims. What a bunch of phony victimhood bullshit. Crying and moaning over assholes that are out committing crimes and always pointing the finger at anyone but them when their continual dumb ass actions end up getting them dead, too damn bad.
    I could care less how they end up and ain’t it too bad someone at home didn’t care enough to raise them right in the first place where they maybe wouldn’t be causing chaos in their “own communities.”
    Or is that asking too much. Hey Celeste maybe you can take a break from all the anti-cop nonsense you spew here and elsewhere to be a foster mom to some of the poor misguided youth that end up out of control and the problem police have to deal with, that’s the last thing you and your sheep want anyway so step up.

  • Reckoning…. Thank you SOOOO MUCH for your response. You proved my point perfectly!!!

    Well done. Lmfao.

  • Maj. Kong, you’re paranoid and see trolls everywhere.

    Doing my Job, I’ll take you up on your offer. How can we get you out of police work? And, how much or what do you need to leave California? I would be glad to donate to Pork Chop Foundation to support you fine folks in uniform who are willing to leave the state. I’m sure there is a fine town down in the swampy part of Florida or up in the hills of Appalachia that is looking for fine officer transplants with a little red around the neck.

    Sure Fire, that was a “Cop” out saying it wasnt a threat. This is a blog, for gods sake, not the street, and you aren’t in uniform so no one cares about your threats. Had a black kid told you what you said to Celeste, you would have arrested him and claimed that he threatened you. And, please, please, stopping crying to Celeste as she is your mommy. Let as assume, not that its true, but for the sake of argument, that some people on here do hate cops. So what? Must you be loved? You watched too much Adam 12. Don’t be afraid of the black man. I imagine you have nightmares that someday you too, will be arrested, maybe for diddling little cadets, and end up in prison with some of the brothers you smacked around and arrested. I imagine you you wake up in a cold sweat biting the pillow. Get over it, not everyone cares and not everyone is going to love you.

    And, “crying and moaning over assholes committing crimes?” Look who is talking. I can’t point out a fine officer who diddled a little girl cadet, or one that was raping inmates, or one lying on the stand, etc, etc, because you bitch and moan about how your fine brethren are being persecuted. Stop it already.

    Let me give you, Maj Kong, and the rest of the uniformed redneck mafia a reality check – Pete Wilson is gone, 187 is dead, and now we’re talking about sanctuary. Black people give you a run for your money, they’ll record you, film you, put a camera in your face and up your ass, and call you a pig to your face, and, unless no one is watching (or if you think that), you can’t smack them like you use to. The people are tired and they don’t take it like they use. Hell, you have 14 year olds calling you out for the punks you are. You ain’t in Kansas anymore, Dorothy. Or, is it Petunia.

  • What a sick, trusted, racist, perverted rant. You are really sick and if not under the care of a psychiatrist already, you should be. There is no hope in having a dialogue or adult conversation with the likes of you.

    Sicko!!

  • Bibring: “law’s are meant to protect the police and not the people”. Please substitute criminals for people. Isn’t that what this conversation is really all about. Hey CF…..normal “people” when confronted by law enforcement react appropriately. They realize there may be consequences for their illegal behavior if they don’t. Let us review the behavior of recent unarmed African Americans killed by the police. Ineach situation the suspect refused to follow lawful police orders and resisted arrest etc….which ultimately led to their demise. I’m sure you would agree that African Americans are not genetically more violent than other races/cultures nor are they less intelligent. So it would reason that special laws should not be necessary to impact the criminal behavior of a specific race or cilture. After all..we are a color blind society……right?

  • Reg, I am in uniform fuck tard don’t kid yourself, agency number four. Now say something else you haven’t a clue about sissy.

  • Off to poker now Reg, big event today, rest easy I’ll be gone awhile got a trip to the motherland planned so like I said…rest easy poser. Taking a much needed break from Cop Hate Central.

  • CF

    Let me introduce you to Robert Jordan.

    He’s a white dude who applied to become a Police Officer back in New England in the ’90s.

    He passed the written test but didn’t get called to the Oral Examination because–get this!!!–he “scored too high on the written test.”

    So he fought that decision in Federal Court and he lost because, the Court said, the decision not to hire him because his “IQ was too .high ” was applied to all applicants equally and thus was not unfair.

    Because that ruling was not appealed and was made by a Federal appellate court it is now the Law of the Land.

    News stories surrounding that judicial ruling revealed that, nationally, the IQ of the average Police Officer is 104.

    This whole thing can be Googled: Robert Jordan, police applicant.

  • Yes, There are consequences for illegal behavior, however there are numerous variables of the consequences, from citations to death. . So yes it all depends. Just so happens that people of color (darker than you without a tan) are usually on the recieving end of bullets. In response to your last question, the answer is no. Society is not colorblind.

  • Yes, There are consequences for illegal behavior, however there are numerous variables of the consequences, from citations to death. . So yes it all depends. Just so happens that people of color (darker than you without a tan) are usually on the recieving end of bullets. In response to your last question, the answer is no, Society isn’t colorblind.

  • Brother: The truth is African Americans only represent 13% of the population, yet according the recent FBI statistics are responsible for approx. 40% of the crime committed in the United States. I find it difficult to believe that the vast majority of those arrested were either innocent or targeted by the police based on their color. another fact is ….and based on recent video evidence…it would appear African Americans are more prone to civil disobedience and being confrontational with law enforcement. I think until the African American community cleans their own house……blaming the police for their own behavior will fall on deaf ears. I will not argue the point that historically African Americans suffered as a result of bigotry or systemic racism…you can either continue digging the whole deeper or climb out…..we are all responsible for our own behavior.

  • Brother: Share a quick story with you. Two African American juveniles were being booked at a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Station for Grand Theft Auto. I overheard two older African American female Department employees talking about the arrest. They were bewildered that the juveniles were in custody…after all it was just for stealing a car. I could not believe my ears…two county employees each with an excess of 20 years working for the Sheriff’s Department, yet somehow thought stealing a car was just kids being kids. That attitude appears prevalent in some African American communities. Yes I also agree we are not in a color blind society.

  • The problem with the African American community is now on the African American. The stats are clear and irrefutable. They idolize rappers, actors and athletes. They whine about everything under the sun yet they have every social program under the sun available to them. They are 19% of the population yet commit the vast majority of the crime.

    Everyone knows the overall majority of these shootings are 100% justifiable. People are getting really Fucking tired of the absurdity behind all these meaningless protests and press conferences. It’s nauseating and people are sick of it. It’s on deaf ears at this point.

    Racism exists and it always will. But racism is keeping the “Black Man” down, the black man is.

  • Not condoning civil disobedience but believe me when I say this, the non violence era in the 50’s and 60’s exhibited by Blacks as they were hosed with high pressure water and bitten by dogs are history. Outright crime is one thing but Blacks aren’t going for it, moving forward. Unfortunately there are idiots mixing in with peaceful folks.

  • Brother: Martin Luther King was a man idolized by both African Americans and whites alike. He was a great man who raised the consciousness of racism and bigotry. Yet, I never heard him blame the plight of African Americans on others…..he believed in the right of self determination. He did use civil disobedience as a tool…but only in non violent ways…..that seems to have been forgotten.

  • The latest issue is “Unarmed Blacks killed by Police” which supersedes crime in general as it relates to the Black Community. Of course there are investigations to delve further which ultimately is not always a color issue. Imagine if John Hinckley was Black, do you honestly think he would be alive today and walking as a free man?

  • Your ignorance in stereotyping the Black Community is not worthy of responding.

  • King was idolized by “some” Whites. Don’t get it twisted. Unfortunately non violence was viewed as weakness, but never again.

  • Brother: At least admit it is unarmed black “criminals” being killed by the police. The police are not systematically gunning down mom and pop as they walk to the store. Also, help me to understand why the African American community is so concerned with the plight of the criminal element in their communities who actually prey on their own people. As a typical white guy, I could care less if a cop shot a white unarmed criminal under the same conditions and circumstances as those BLM seems to be concerned with.

  • Actually, I believe MLK was idolized by a great many whites……not just some. I think it took a lot of courage and self control to face down the water hoses and dogs. The actions of those people led to the civil rights era and subsequent legislation. They should be admired……anybody can throw a rock at a police car…..or burn down a neighborhood. Look at what Gandhi achieved through non violence.

  • Hmm…I’m hearing a lot of the general comments referring to “Blacks” and for the PC crew “African Americans” as a monolithic, single-minded group. Not the case. I’m sure the law abiding citizens American citizens have just as much outrage when they are preyed upon or victimized by other blacks and the police. Just as illegal immigrants are separate from legal immigrants, stop with the broad brush strokes.

    If cops would profile criminal behavior versus race (it still happens) that would help. The media, rap culture, economics, racism and even opportunistic politicians have all come together to move the “us versus them” narrative right long.

  • Every crime committed is not worthy of being shot or killed. When I say this, I’m not leaning on one side or another. As your typical white guy example, I hear you but I don’t believe it. In addition to my true example of John Hinckley. Jr, he was never charged with the murder of James Brady. Would America allow that for a Black Man in same circumstances?

  • Brother: I agree with you…….not every crime is worthy of being shot……but…..how many would still be alive if they had just conformed to authority and allowed themselves to be taken into custody. To say they are not without fault would be refusing to recognize the obvious.

  • I’ll wrap it up with this, many Blacks are generalized in the negative as well as Cops. I don’t condone the unethical behavior of either. Cops have a job to do and it’s not easy along with many in the Black community who are painted with a broad brush. You should also know that every Black person who disagrees doesn’t make them part of BLM.

  • Cognistator, I m not sure what your point is. In the case you mention the city did not want anyone too smart because they figured they would not stay on the force long. So, you do not get too many high IQ folks on the force. 104 is right in the middle of what is considered average. Is your point that there are not many high IQ folks that are police officers? I would agree.

    Bandwagon, let explain a few things that apparently you dont get from your diet of Fox and Friends. First, the FBI stats refer to arrests. As such, they do not reflect the level of crime. Perhaps, whites commit crime at the same level, or higher, but are arrested less. Blacks do not commit 40% of the crime. They may make up 40% of the arrests, but not crime. In fact, we know, backs and white use drugs at the about the same rate, yet blacks are more likely to get arrested. Its not that whites are nicer, less prone to crime or upstanding citizens. All things equal, they are less likely to be arrested. Blacks, to you and most law enforcement, just look more “suspicious.”

    Second, most whites did not idolized MLK. Where the F#$@ do you get that from. That they think differently now is another matter, but when he was alive, MLK was vilified by most whites, at minimum as a trouble maker or communist, and wanted nothing to do with him, and some would have lynched him if they could. History is clear about this. Don’t get your history lessons from Fox. In fact, I have no doubt that had you been around in that era, you would have been one of the fine officers letting the German Shepards lose on him.

    Thirdly, this idea that “normal people when confronted by law enforcement react appropriately” is too much to ask. My point is that you should not be “confronting” many of the people you confront. You create the problem, when there should not be one there. Someone with a cell phone in his grandmothers back yard should not be dead, period. Someone selling illegal DVD on the street should not be dead, period. I don’t give a f@#$ that you later found out he had a criminal record or that you thought he may be up to no good. Same with Ezel Ford. I still have not heard anyone explain an investigative stop or why Ezel Ford was stop at, let alone why he was killed. You see, when you guys do that, someone like Micah Johnson, who is fed up with your crap, goes on top of a building pretends he’s Farmer John and takes 5 of you out. I do not condone that, I would never do it, but I understand it. A case of the chickens coming home to roost.

    Ownership, your racist proclivities are showing. The “stats are clear and irrefutable?” Really, which ones? And, rappers are the problem? Before you open your snout and spew nonsense, do some reading. Most rap music is purchased by white kids. Depending on whom you believe, 60-70%, maybe higher, of rap music is purchased by white kids. And, they “idolize” atheletes. Are you for real? I am beginning to think your name isn’t Robert Jordan, whom Cognistator introduced above. No doubt, had you been around when MLK was alive you would have had a hand on the leash of one of those German Shepard dogs with bandwagon and would be yelling that Rock & Roll is destroying the youth. I feel sorry for you when your little girl brings a black boyfriend home.

    Sure Fire, my friend, you really must relax. Sound like your anger management and ADD are getting the best of you. Relax, I do not want you on disability, collecting your pension and disability, as some of your fine upstanding officers are doing. We’re merely talking. No need to get upset.

  • CF- Yawn…. Again

    By the way. Trumps approval ratings went up 9 points to 51%. Higher the NoBama’s at this time during his presidency.

    Told you people are getting fed up with you Lefty’s incessant whining.

    CF…. Keep playing the Race Card when it’s not in the deck!! Deaf ears brother, deaf ears.

  • Ownership, here is the link to RealClearPolitics national average of polls, which shows the exact opposite of what you are claiming. Trump’s approval rating stands at 41.5, and his disapproval rating is at 54.6. He also claims, by the way, that his “real” numbers are 9 points higher than what the media is reporting. I think he confused that with his IQ score…

    What is YOUR link, Ownership?

    https://realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html

  • Our troll is after all just a troll and will say whatever he thinks he has to to get a response and of course attention. But this blog does have a comment policy, so it’s not a total free speech zone. Our troll just posted a crack justifying the serial killing of 5 police officers. This blog seems to be ok with that, of course this blog also said a deranged rant from another police serial killer “had a ring of truth “ to it. Just keep that in mind, espically the next time witness la reports on anything police related.

  • CF:

    “I’m not sure what your point is.”

    The stated reason for hiring 104 IQ police officers is higher IQ officers “would not stay on the force long.”

    Why would that be, let us wonder.

  • “Existing use-of-force laws have made an encounter with law enforcement – no matter how ordinary and no matter whether an individual is unarmed or even cooperative – into one that ends in the death of a civilian,” Weber said. “The worst possible outcome is increasingly the only outcome, especially in communities of color.”

    Assemblymember Shirley Weber is engaging in blatant and scandalous demagoguery.

    As a precaution, and for the sake of allowing rational thinking to prevail, any piece of new legislation proposed by Assemblymember Weber should be withdrawn from the calendar and postponed for a minimum of 6 months before being opened for consideration.

  • Gee CF…..I wonder what those arrests (40%) were for. Perhaps they committed a crime? Regardless….the numbers speak for themselves…….For the sake of argument…..I didn’t place the rock in the suspect’s pants…nor did I plant the gun he was carrying as he was walking through the neighborhood minding his own business. Stop being an apologetic for the socials ills of our society. We are each responsible for our behavior.

  • CF: Your ignorance regarding what white people thought of Martin Luther King during his tenor is alarming. Stop getting all your info from CNBC. I know your mind can not grasp the reality that MLK was adorned by both white and African Americans. That would destroy your whole reason for getting up in the morning and commenting on this blog.

  • CF: You are right someone selling illegal DVDs should not be dead…..but someone selling DVDs with a gun in his pocket fighting with the police should be. I guess you wanted to leave that out of the equation. Typical…..wondering…did you ever have that conversation with a cop at the donut shop…you know where you were going to tell him or her what a punk they were……….thought not

  • Cognistator, I suspect that high IQ individuals will not stay on the force because the work is not intellectually challenging. Riding around a police car, issuing citations, doing accident reports, and telling homeless to move on is not that challenging. And, quite frankly, its boring. I am sure you will admit, police work is not as seen on TV, no Adam 12 or Chicago PD. Hell, most officers have never fired a gun, outside the firing range, and have never been fired upon. That is why when Dorner was on the loose, those officers shot up a pick up with 2 latina women, 100, or so rounds, and did not hit either. Basically for the same reason that high IQ folks do not remain security guards.

    Ownership, the race card has been played since the founding of this country. The difference is that until recently, only white people were proving and shuffling the deck.

    Maj. Kong, you’re being dishonest. First, no one made a crack. It was not a joke or crack, I was explaining to you why these things happened. I specifically prefaced it by saying I do not condone it. You’re one of those cowboys that keeps asking “why do they hate us?” You did it with Iraq, you did it when the airplanes flew into the WTC, and you do it now that people are calling you out when you shot an unarmed man. I’m trying to educate you. Second, Micah Johnson was not a serial killer. He took out 5 within a few minutes. Maybe mass murder, but I do not think so. Thirdly, no one on this site finds the killing of an officer acceptable. The difference is that if someone kills a police officer, that person gets the death penalty. If an officer kills an unarmed black man, you will not be criminally prosecuted or even be civilly liable. So, stop whining.

    Enough. Let us move on.

  • Look at the video, he was not fighting with the police. The gun in his pocket was not exposed in his pocket, thus retrieved and put away by the 2nd officer. The ignorant foul mouth cop who was fired, bit off more than he could handle. Listen and watch the bodycam footage.

  • I agree. Her comments were so over the top there can be no legislation worth considering if that is her starting point. I would encourage her to get facts to support her assertions before proposing legislation…

  • Here’s One: Do you know you have a legal obligation to follow a police officer’s command. You see it prevents DVD salesmen from getting killed when they are armed with a gun. Another instance where an African American committing an illegal act would still be alive if he exercised some common sense and judgement. By the way…..harsh language is part of the use of force options…….far better to hurt someone’s feelings than have to shoot them…..

  • CF: correct me if I am wrong…..but didn’t Michael Slager just receive 20 years in prison for shooting Walter Scott in the back as he was running away……I know…..doesn’t conform to your reality….keep trying!

  • Hey Bandwagon, Convicted murderer Slager is a prime example of unethical behavior of individuals that I posted about in a previous post. Slager was a liar on top of being a murderer. Without the video, it would have been another day at the office. With only 20 years to serve, he basically got away with murder. Please don’t minimize.

  • Oh common troll, don’t backpedal now, now’s the time to double down, let’s see how far Celeste is willing to let you go.

  • Would not think of it…..I’m surprised that he only received 20 years. Brother….. obviously there are some people who have no right to be a cop…..but believe me…..the system is no longer protecting cops as was once the practice…..law enforcement organizations would sooner shove the cop under the bus than have to deal with public scrutiny regardless if the cops actions were right it wrong. I also agree if the video had not surfaced he may have gotten away with murder. He does not at all represent the majority of police officers in this country doing a thankless job.

  • @ Ownership, When you’re “called out” on this blog to step up “front & center” you always take a step to the rear with silence. You look foolish when you have no validity to your assertions. Its obvious that trump is your idol. I do recall that you tried to go to bat for Paul Tanaka, which doesn’t say a lot about you. If you have an opinion, then state it. If your second hand information can’t be backed up, don’t repeat it

  • The premise here is that we have the problem of unnecessary deaths that is easily fixed by rewriting some of the CA State law on basic police procedure.
    It would work just like cutting air pollution.
    The California Legislature passes a law prohibiting the use of lead in gasoline.
    The refineries make a few alterations. The automobile makers adjust their carburetors.
    Gasoline becomes unleaded. Smog levels are reduced. Everyone breathes easier.

    A question arises for asking of the California legislators rushing to revamp our basic rules over the use of force by law enforcement.
    If you are certain this is a simple issue of passing a law and reducing/eliminating unnecessary deaths involving police use of force,
    then why have you done nothing until now?
    If your premise is correct and the stroke of your pen solves the problem, then are you not responsible for numerous needless deaths which occurred between the day you took office and the day you proposed this legislation?

  • Agreed Marlin, it’s the politics of revenge, a call for show trials, then back to business as usual. BTW has Ms. Weber ever called for a reduction of police officers in her district? Why don’t these anti cop politicians ever call for fewer cops? Given her position on “worst possible outcomes”and police, you would think she would want fewer of them around. They never do

  • She reminds me of that DA in Maryland, who in a rush to appease the lynch mob, indicted six Baltimore cops over the tragic death of someone in their custody. She ultimately wound up with nothing but egg on her face. Is it too much to ask public officials to do their job based on actual evidence?

  • Still Laughing. I’ve NEVER once stood up for PT. Read every single one of my posts and you WILL NOT FIND ONE that supports that Fucking loser. I despise the man and always have!!! To claim I supported him is blatantly false and shows what idiot you truly are. You troll around this blog searching for discussions involving others so you can throw your your snipes in. You are so unoriginal and have nothing of any value to offer. You are truly pathetic!!

    My ownership. I searched endlessly for the article I read about his approval ratings and admittedly couldn’t find it. For full transparency, It was on a financial page on Fox News. Also, if you read my past posts, you will see I have called Trump out for the pure idiocy he sometimes exudes.

    You see SL, I’m not afraid to look at both sides, call out who needs calling out, including other cops.

    I don’t sit on the sidelines waiting for an opportunity to snipe at people trying to maturely debate their views and hopefully one day move forward as a community.

    Your pathetic.

  • SL. I owned my mistake “ Front and Center”. Your turn, Show me one post where I supported PT.

  • Hey I’ll take President Trump, and give mad max- Maxine Waters to the still laughing, cf crowd.

  • My error, it was your siamese twin “Major Kong” you mirror him so much and visa versa.

  • Your last paragraph is so hypocritical when you stereotyped the Black Community earlier in this thread.

  • If the police would just drive around, waving at people shaking hands enjoying a cup of coffee at the coffee shop interacting with people, there would be no shootings, no uses of force no complaints. If a criminal commits a crime, the criminal should be honest come to the officers at the coffee shop and say, yes I did it take me to jail with a broad smile. The criminal should also be aware, possessing a gun or other weapon, is bad, and should not do it. The criminal should also know assaulting people is bad very bad. When the criminal possesses a weapon he should approach the police with his hands up, his legs spread out and shout from a safe distance, I have a gun, the police would then approach and recover the gun safely. The criminal would then say, yes the gun is stolen and I intended to rob the bank, take me to jail while apologizing to the officer for being such a naughty person.

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