Senate bill 5919, appropriate use of force for law enforcement debated

OLYMPIA – The amount of force a police officer uses must be “proportional and reasonable,” a bill approved recently by the State Senate says.

The bill also specifies officers will also be allowed to engage in vehicular pursuits as long as there is “reasonable suspicion” when making a traffic stop.

The Senate voted 31-18 on Senate Bill 5919 on Feb. 9 with a handful of Republicans joining the majority Democrats. The bill cleans up language adopted last year on the use of force that many in the law enforcement community said was confusing and contradictory.

“The Sheriff’s Office…believes Senate B...