In response to a disturbing incident in Reform, Alabama, where a police officer was caught on video tasering a man in handcuffs, Alabama State Senator Merika Coleman (D-Jefferson County) is taking action to curb the misuse of tasers by law enforcement officers.
The incident involved 24-year-old Micah Washington, who was compliant and restrained when he was subjected to a taser while lying across the hood of a car.
“As we watched, the young man was complying. He was no longer a threat. He was in restraints on the back of a vehicle. And he was still further tased. And so that behavior should not happen,” Coleman stated.
Senator Coleman plans to prefile legislation to address the issue in the upcoming legislative session.
The proposed law would make it a Class C felony for officers to tase individuals who are already in restraints and no longer pose a threat.
Speaking about the legislation, Coleman said it was important to hold officers accountable for their actions.
“If a district attorney decides to take this matter on, it would make it a class C felony for an officer to use a taser on an individual who is in restraints and also poses no further threat,” Coleman said.
The senator clarified that her proposed legislation is not an attack on law enforcement but rather a measure to address the actions of a few “bad apples” within the system.
“We need folks that are there to protect and serve. But we also need to have the tools to be able to reprimand and punish those bad apples that use that position as a police officer wrongly,” said Coleman.
Despite potential opposition, Coleman said she is committed to pushing for the legislation and encouraged constituents to voice their concerns to their legislators.
In addition to the criminal version of the legislation, Coleman also plans to introduce a civil version that would allow individuals to pursue relief in civil court against officers who tase restrained suspects.
The civil version would enable judges to award compensation if deemed appropriate.
Earlier this month, a video went viral showing a police officer in Reform, Alabama, tasering a restrained man. The officer has been placed on administrative leave, and community leaders are calling for her termination and legal action against her personally.
Senator Coleman, who is also running for Alabama’s newly-drawn Congressional District 2, faced criticism for her proposal to make officer body camera footage available to the public without the approval of a judge, deeming it a matter of public record.
She argued that the proposed reforms are necessary to ensure accountability and address incidents of misconduct within the police force.
DOJ data shows that approximately 16,000 officers sustain injuries from assaults each year and that officers are more likely to suffer injuries when force is required to make an arrest.
