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Atlanta Mayor Vows Changes in How Police Officers Use Force

Associated Press

   ATLANTA, GA. - Atlanta's mayor is vowing to change police use-of-force
   policies and require that officers receive continuous training in how
   to deescalate situations before the consequences become fatal.
   Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced her plans after the police killing
   of another black man, Rayshard Brooks, outside a fast-food restaurant
   on Friday touched off more large protests in the city.
   "I am often reminded of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. --
   'There is a fierce urgency of now in our communities,'" the mayor said.
   "It is clear that we do not have another day, another minute, another
   hour to waste," she said.
   The mayor said she'll also require officers to intervene if they see a
   colleague using excessive force, saying "they are duty-bound to
   intercede."
   "It's very clear that our police officers are to be guardians and not
   warriors within our communities," the mayor said.
   Other cities nationwide are taking similar steps, and police reform
   proposals are emerging in Congress. Republicans plan a bill with
   restrictions on police chokeholds and other practices, while a
   Democratic proposal would limit legal protections for police, create a
   national database of excessive-force encounters and ban chokeholds. The
   White House plans to announce executive actions Tuesday.

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