Washington Could Raise the Age to Buy ‘Assault Rifles’ & Lower the Bar For Prosecuting Cops in Deadly Force Cases

Voters in Washington state will have two measures on their ballot that will give them the opportunity to weigh in on the debate over gun laws. If adopted, the initiatives would lower the evidentiary standard used to prosecute cops for improper use of deadly force, and raise the minimum age to buy a semi-automatic rifle. Here’s a look each:

Initiative 940 would create a good faith test to determine when the use of deadly force by police is justifiable, make de-escalation and mental health training mandatory, and require law enforcement officers to provide first aid. It’d remove the requirement that prosecutors show that a law enforcement officer acted with malice to be convicted (the “malice standard”).

If this initiative passes, the state legislature will require a two-thirds vote to amend it in the first two years. If it fails, the legislature could pass a compromise version of the initiative, with has further clarification on deadly force rules and the obligation to give first aid, with a majority vote.

Initiative 1639 would implement new restrictions on the purchase and ownership of firearms. It’d raise the minimum age for buying pistols and semi-automatic assault rifles to 21 and impose background checks and a 10-day minimum waiting period for semi-automatic assault rifles’ purchase. People ages 18-21 would be able to possess pistols or semi-automatic assault rifles in private spaces, fixed places of business, and while in transit between the aforementioned points. Additionally, the measure would establish requirements for storage of all firearms.

Semi-automatic assault rifle purchasers would have to provide proof that they’ve completed a recognized firearm safety training program in the last five years with instruction on basic firearm safety, secure gun storage, the safety of children and firearms, suicide prevention, safe handling, and state and federal firearm law.

Firearms dealers would have to be notified in writing by the chief of police or sheriff in the purchaser’s residence’s jurisdiction that the purchase is eligible to own a firearm, and that the application to purchase is approved. The chief of police or sheriff would be required to use the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and other databases to determine whether the purchaser is eligible to possess a firearm.

For the purposes of this measure, “semiautomatic assault rifle” is defined as “Any rifle which utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and which requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge. ‘Semiautomatic assault rifle’ does not include antique firearms, any firearm that has been made permanently inoperable, or any firearm that is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action.”

— Eric Revell & Lorelei Yang

(Photo Credit: iStock.com / july7th)