Governor signs South Bay-inspired bill to enshrine rights for families of people shot by police

"SAN JOSE Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a bill authored by a South Bay lawmaker and sponsored by San Jose civil-rights activists that compels due-process rights for families of people seriously injured or killed by police. Assembly Bill 572, spearheaded by Assemblyman Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, and backed by fellow area legislator State Sen. Dave Cortese, will require police in the state to first inform family members of their loved one's condition, then tell them of their right to have an advocate present, before a formal police interview can take place."

"Jim Showman's 19-year-old daughter Diana was shot and killed by a San Jose police officer in August 2014 after she called 911 while experiencing a psychiatric emergency, and purported to have an Uzi that turned out to be a power drill spray-painted black. Showman says in his desperation to know about Diana's status, he outlined her mental-health history to police which was later used to publicly justify the shooting and only found out afterward that she was dead."

""For all of us, it's a relief," Showman said in an interview Tuesday. "Now they can't consciously take advantage of us. They have to approach this in a more humane way. It makes it so law enforcement and public officials cannot vilify victims of police violence.""

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 572 to compel due-process protections for families of people seriously injured or killed by police. The law requires police to inform family members of their loved one's condition and advise them of the right to have an advocate present before a formal police interview. The measure was spearheaded by Assemblyman Ash Kalra and backed by State Sen. Dave Cortese and San Jose civil-rights activists. The bill responds to San Jose families' accounts that investigators obtained grief-driven statements later used to justify officer actions, including the 2014 shooting of Diana Showman. Police agencies have until 2027 to implement compliant policies.

Read at www.mercurynews.com