Making cops more liable

With the passage of HB 3003, which makes it easier to hold cops criminally liable following a deadly force encounter/shooting, I’m sure the American Trial Lawyers Association are licking their chops as dollar signs appear on the horizon from suits of cities, counties and state police agencies.

The cops involved have had two things to think about, before, during and after a deadly force encounter:

1) Survival.

2) Being sued.

Now, thanks to our left-leaning legislature, they must consider being charged criminally if the incident did not go as a textbook deadly force encounter.

Meanwhile the bad guys (e.g. perps, suspects, ex-cons and nuts) have no such encumbering onus to delay their willingness shoot, thus putting the cop(s) further behind the eight ball with one strike against them right out of the gate. We continue to breed into our police a hesitance to shoot.

Good luck on trying to recruit candidates for our various police agencies. It would serve our state right if we could no longer fill vacancies with much needed good cops. Who would want to be a cop today?

Ray Taylor

Colville