(Eric Lubbers, The Colorado Sun)
The recent protests across the country over the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, at the hands of police officers have revived the conversation around how best to investigate police-involved deaths in Colorado.
State lawmakers were planning to try to make changes in the wake of the fatal Colorado Springs police shooting of 19-year-old De’von Bailey in August. The coronavirus crisis cut this year’s legislative session short and left many of the efforts on the cutting room floor.
But now, after Floyd’s death renewed national attention on the issue, legislators may take a second look at police accountability, House Speaker KC Becker, a Boulder Democrat, said.
“There’s interest in doing something,” she said. “We’ll see.”
Support Local Journalism
One such bill that was being drafted before the legislature’s pandemic pause created a statewide independent monitor program, similar to what’s in place in Denver, to review and investigate law enforcement-involved deaths across the state. The drafting of the bill came after a handful of high-profile police deaths involving law-enforcement in Colorado, including the fatal shooting of Bailey.
Click here to read the rest of the story from the Colorado Sun.
Readers around Grand County make the Sky-Hi News’ work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.