Cops ask for 18-month delay and loosening of deadly force rules
By Ken Dixon
Milford Police Chief Keith Mello
Law enforcement officials on Monday asked state legislators to delay new rules and clarify language on the use of deadly force until at least October of 2022, in order to revamp training methods, especially tactics on de-escalating incidents before they become violent.
The request amounts to an 18-month pushback of parts of the controversial police reform and transparency bill adopted last summer by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Ned Lamont. It also could give police more leeway in using deadly force, a crucial point of contention in the debate, which led to widespread protests by police and their suppoters.