New legislation would require the Ohio attorney general to investigate cases in which an officer used deadly force against an unarmed citizen.
The bill, introduced Wednesday by Democratic Sens. Sandra Williams of Cleveland and Charleta B. Tavares of Columbus, is an effort to bolster accountability and public confidence in the justice system.
“It’s a way to try to give the citizens of this state the assurance that there’s no funny business going on,” Williams said. “People just want justice.”
The bill is one of several introduced in the General Assembly meant to bolster transparency and public confidence in investigations of police use of force, particularly in the wake of some high profile cases.
Legislators involved with the bills, Republicans and Democrats, have said it is important for the public to have confidence in the legal system. They said that their legislative efforts, many of which would require police officers and prosecutors to engage in more record keeping and more independent investigation, are an attempt to provide that confidence.
“Public trust in the entire justice system is shaken,” Williams said in a statement. “The public is pleading for accountability.”
Recently, Democratic Rep. Alicia Reece and Republican Rep. Jonathan Dever, both of Cincinnati, introduced their own proposal that would require an independent investigatory process whenever there is a death as a result of a police shooting. That proposal, though, does not specifically put the onus on the attorney general.
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