Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation that would require an independent investigation of any incident involving deadly force by a police officer. 
  
Our criminal justice system is meant to be impartial and absent of bias or conflicts of interest. Even the appearance of conflict in the investigation of a police-involved killing can lead to public distrust of law enforcement. In recent years, this distrust has fueled civil unrest following the tragic deaths of Antwon Rose, George Floyd, and others who have perished under similar circumstances. In response, community leaders have called repeatedly for independent investigations of police involved killings to ensure that justice is fairly dispensed. 

 
This legislation answers that call by requiring any officer-involved deadly force incident to be independently investigated by the respective county district attorney, rather than the police department of the jurisdiction in which the incident occurred. Under this legislation, a district attorney may prosecute a case, refer the case to a grand jury, or refer the case to the Pennsylvania Attorney General for prosecutorial review. 

 

As public trust in law enforcement continues to erode, it is the General Assembly’s responsibility to ensure that fairness, impartiality, and justice prevail over all else. Please join us in sponsoring this critical legislation that will help restore the public’s faith in the criminal justice system.