Washington Governor signs update to deadly force initiative

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a bill revising Initiative 940, the measure voters passed in November making it easier to prosecute police officers for negligent shootings.

The bill changes when officers can be held liable for using deadly force. While I-940 would have required officers to show that they believed they were acting in good faith, the bill imposes an objective test: whether another officer acting reasonably in the same circumstances would have believed deadly force was necessary.

The initiative followed a string of high-profile police shootings nationwide, and activists said it would help prevent similar events in Washington.