‘Hands Up’ bill enters Missouri House
March 15, 2019
Missouri Rep. Brandon Ellington (D-Kansas City) filed a bill in the Missouri House on March 7 which would make it illegal for law officers to shoot suspects while surrendering, according to a Missouri Times press release.
The proposed bill is similar to the ‘Hands Up Act’ proposed by SIU graduate student Travis Washington, although Washington’s act is not acknowledged in the release.
(See more: ‘Hands Up Act’ would punish police for shooting unarmed citizens)
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“Although recent reform and training efforts have worked to bring down police shootings, the US Justice Department has moved away from these reforms,” Ellington said in the release. “It’s up to the states to take action, and I believe this bill will serve as a deterrent.”
Ellington’s bill not only makes it a criminal offense to shoot suspects who are surrendering, but also would make it a Class A felony if the person surrendering was killed.
Class A felonies in Missouri are punishable by 10 years to life in prison, according to the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission’s website.
Washington’s original act proposed a mandatory 15 year sentence for officers convicted of shooting an unarmed citizen.
“What inspired me to [create the act is] a disconnect between the community and police officers,” Washington said. “If we want to rebuild this trust, we need laws in order to regain the trust.”
Ellington was quoted similarly in the press release about the bill he proposed.
“We all want good police officers serving in our neighborhoods, and we expect them to protect and serve,” Ellington said. “What we don’t want is for police to feel free to act like Judge Dredd where they are the judge, the jury and the executioner.”
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As of Sunday, no Missouri House hearing has been scheduled regarding the bill, according to the Kansas City Star.
News Desk Editor Rana Schenke can be reached at [email protected].
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Bunny Gray • Jan 21, 2020 at 7:00 pm
I understand your comment Desi BUT there were cameras filming as Freddie Gray was being choked to death and another gentleman was shot. Both by law enforcement. Both were UNARMED & HANDS IN THE OPEN. So yes I am for a law that will keep your loved one and his co- workers in check. Therefore they can NOT use the “I was in fear of my life” tactic when it was actually the other way around. Becoming flat out murder for all to see. More Asiatic men & boys have been murdered by law enforcement with meaningless justification. I do agree that an outside agency should not only investigate but should also take over the police department which to my is an issue on the table. No disrespect to you or your loved one BUT just because he is one way with family and friends does NOT mean that he behaves or thinks the same on the job. Once again no disrespect just stating facts.
Desi • Jan 17, 2020 at 10:08 pm
Apologies typo in post, officers should NOT be the investigators. A complete different outfit should be in charge of this.
Desi • Jan 17, 2020 at 10:05 pm
Mandatory for all is not okay. Listing names of lost lives in this article and not includng officers killed on duty is not okay. As long as the person does have there hands up or stop when told to stop I think its great, but I have family that are officers too and on the other side of this argument I say if they aren’t complying and are shot it needs to be investigated and cop not be in trouble if they find there was reason to be fearful. If you are a person who complies with officers and you get shot that officer needs to pay with his life wasted behind bars just as he wasted a life. If you are not complying and they cannot get you to put hands up or freeze and they wait a fraction too long to shoot because of this law and then get killed that’s bullshit too, my fam is good people and his kids need him coming home. Cop says put hands up, put them up, if you don’t and you get shot remember he had a family to get home to and he shouldn’t have to put his life on the line anymore than he already does cuz some asshole wouldn’t put his hands up and freeze. All cops should have to wear cams so that if a person does comply and they get mistreated or hurt, or when accused of brutal acts on women or racism the cop is fired and jailed accordingly and fellow cops should be the investigators. A few bad apples ruin it for the good ones, and that statement is as true for one side as it is the other. So when placing these rules and laws they need to have both parties best interest at heart or they need to be off the table and on to ones that do. This shit where sides are took when lives are lost on both sides is for the birds, we humans are smart enough to be together on these issues and weed out the bad apples, otherwise the bad just keeps growing and the hate keeps infesting more and more. Part of the problem not the solution if you take sides and aren’t in it to make it safer for all.