Minutes after a deadly shooting, witnesses pointed police officers to the suspected killer who was fleeing on foot. However, officers were forced to allow the possible murderer to get away thanks to a new “use-of-force” law.
Pierce County sheriff’s deputies arrived at a Khol’s retail store in Puyallup, Washington, after witnesses reported a series of gunshots, KOMO News reports. Officers quickly discovered a deceased man in the parking lot and proceeded to interview witnesses in an attempt to find the killer.
Multiple witnesses reported seeing a man running from the scene of the shooting, giving detectives a detailed description of the suspect. A K-9 police dog was brought to the scene, and officers should have been able to track down the man. Unfortunately, a new law halted their progress, leaving the community in imminent danger.
Pierce County Sheriff’s Department announced in a Facebook post that they were forced to call off the search for the suspect before it even began due to a recent “use-of-force” law that requires officers to have probable cause. Officials confirmed that even if they found the suspect, officers would no longer be legally permitted to use force to detain him thanks to the new legislation.
“Under the new law, police officers are required to have ‘probable cause’ before using ‘physical force’ to detain someone, as opposed to the previous standard of ‘reasonable suspicion,'” the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department wrote.
In a separate post, the sheriff’s department explained the new law and warned that it would result in “significant changes” for the community. The department revealed that they are not legally allowed to pursue a suspect for crimes such as “Domestic Violence Simple Assault, Violation of a No Contact or Protection Order, and Stalking” if they are fleeing in a vehicle.
“Law enforcement can no longer pursue after vehicles for any traffic offenses with the exception of Vehicular Assault, Vehicular Homicide, and Driving Under the Influence. Of note, ‘probable cause’ is a high standard of having enough facts, information, and/or evidence for a reasonable officer to believe that a person is more likely than not to have committed a crime. “
The sheriff’s department encouraged citizens to still call the police if there is a crime but reiterated that the legislation will greatly hinder their ability to catch culprits and deliver justice.
“In some situations this means that we must let potential suspects walk away from a crime scene until we have developed a high standard of having enough facts, information, and/or evidence for a reasonable officer to believe that a person is more likely than not to have committed a crime,” the post continued.
Additionally, the sheriff’s department provided a disturbing example of what acceptable policing techniques will look like from now on.
“Please consider the following scenario*: Dispatchers receive a 911 call from a person who reports hearing screaming and loud noises from an apartment next door,” the sheriff’s department wrote. “The caller reports that it sounds like the woman next door is being assaulted by her boyfriend, but is only able to provide a vague description of what the boyfriend looks like and does not know his name.
“As the first responding officer approaches the apartment, he sees a man running through the parking lot wearing clothing that is similar to the description provided in the 911 call,” but under the new state law, “officer cannot use any type of ‘physical force’ to detain the suspect until ‘probable cause’ has been established,” the post continued. “This means that officers must let the man walk away from the scene until they can interview the victim and/or witnesses to determine with a high level of certainty that a crime has occurred and the person is a suspect in that crime.”
The sheriff’s department vowed to continue doing everything within the confines of the law to protect and serve the community. However, they regrettably acknowledged that the legislation severely restricts their ability to properly pursue justice and keep citizens safe.
The legislation is an example of the damage that the anti-police deconstructionists are inflicting on innocent civilians. Sadly, this is only the beginning of the devastation as long as the implementation of these laws continues.
