The Seattle Police Department Force Review Board report on the shooting death of Charleena Lyles was released to the public last week. As reported on November 15 in The Seattle Times, the Board found the shooting by two police officers was “reasonable, proportional and within policy, according to sources familiar with the decision.” While not surprising, this news is disappointing and disheartening. And it reinforces the necessity of reforms identified in I-940 De-Escalate Washington.

“Charleena called for help and she was shot to death,” stated Gordon McHenry, Jr., President & CE0 of Solid Ground. “No one believes that her death was an acceptable outcome. We join with people all across our state demanding better training and legal standards that increase safety for everyone in our state.”

This initiative to the state legislature would require law enforcement to:

• Receive ongoing violence de-escalation, mental health, and first aid training.
• Provide first aid to civilians they shoot.
• Change standards for the use of deadly force.
• Add a “good faith” standard and independent investigations of police violence.

The initiative needs to submit about 350,000 signatures by Friday, December 29, 2017 to go to state lawmakers for the 2018 legislative session.