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Which states substantially limit deadly force by police?

7 states have adopted this policy

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Alabama has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Alaska has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Arizona has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Arkansas has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

California has adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Colorado has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Connecticut has adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Delaware has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Florida has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Georgia has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Hawaii has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Idaho has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Illinois has adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Indiana has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Iowa has adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Kansas has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Kentucky has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Louisiana has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Maine has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Maryland has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Massachusetts has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Michigan has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Minnesota has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Mississippi has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Missouri has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Montana has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Nebraska has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Nevada has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

New Hampshire has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

New Jersey has adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

New Mexico has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

New York has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

North Carolina has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

North Dakota has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Ohio has adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Oklahoma has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Oregon has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Pennsylvania has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Rhode Island has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

South Carolina has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

South Dakota has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Tennessee has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Texas has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Utah has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Vermont has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Virginia has adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Washington has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

West Virginia has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Wisconsin has not adopted this policy

Police Use of Deadly Force Standard

Wyoming has not adopted this policy

What It Does

Several states have taken action to reduce police use of force by barring officers from using deadly force unless necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm. These state laws are credited here only if they also remove or exclude any exception for using deadly force against felony suspects who attempt to escape arrest, exceptions that can used as an excuse to discharge a firearm. A full discussion on Gun Violence and the Police is here.

Show Citations and Footnotes
Source: Cal. Penal Code § 835a; Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-22; 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 5/7-5; Iowa Code § 804.8; N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:3-7(a)-(b)(1); Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2917.05; Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 20, § 2368(b)(2).

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