New use of deadly force bills to take effect Wednesday

(KION) Two new use of force bills will take effect in California on Jan. 1 to determine whether use of deadly force is justifiable.

The first is AB 392. The new law changes the standards for use of deadly force by peace officers. Currently, use of deadly force is justifiable when the officer reasonably believes it is necessary, but under the bill, Section 835a of the Penal Code changes the reasonable force standard to "objectively reasonable force." The change means that there must be an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or another person.

A new law from Central Coast Sen. Anna Caballero affects training policies. SB 230 requires law enforcement agencies to rewrite use of force policy. It will require departments to provide guidelines on use of force, de-escalation techniques and other deadly force alternatives. It will also provide mandatory training to peace officers on complying with the new law.