Police Commissioners Call For Changes To LAPD's Guidelines On Use Of Deadly Force

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Two members of the Los Angeles Police Commission are calling for an overhaul of the LAPD's guidelines on the use of deadly force, according to a report released Friday.

Police Commission President Matthew Johnson and Commissioner Robert Saltzman put forth 12 recommendations that call on officers to do everything possible to diffuse confrontations before resorting to deadly force.

"It's really our responsibility to make sure that our officers are properly trained," Johnson said.

One recommendation suggests "deadly force shall only be exercised when reasonable alternatives have been exhausted or appear impracticable."

Director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League Lou Turriaga said he had concerns about the recommendations, which he said could put officers' lives at risk.

"Clearly this is not a collaborative process by the Police Commission," he said. "We are very concerned that the recommendations as written may jeopardize officer and community safety. We're afraid that this policy does not take into account the split-second, life-and-death decisions police officers must make in the field."

Mayor Eric Garcetti released a statement saying: "The clear thinking and vision found in these recommendations are exactly why I appointed President Matt Johnson to the Board of Police Commissioners."

The recommendations come one week after an internal report was released. It found that L.A. police officers used force nearly 2,000 times last year, including 21 cases in which people were fatally shot. More than one-third of the 38 people who were shot by police were mentally ill.

The report is expected to be reviewed by the full Police Commission on Tuesday.