Alton Sterling Shooting Prompts New Look At Police Training
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Nearly a year after Baton Rouge police fatally shot a black man outside a convenience store, Louisiana lawmakers are considering an increase in training requirements for officers.
The passage of Rep. Ted James' bill by a House judiciary committee Thursday came after the Baton Rouge Democrat agreed to stop pushing a separate proposal that would have officers under investigation go unpaid after 60 days.
The full House will consider the training measure, which calls for officers to receive a minimum of 400 hours of basic training and learn more about de-escalation practices.
James says the proposals were prompted by the July 5 death of Alton Sterling, who was killed during a struggle with two white officers. The officers are on administrative leave pending an investigation.
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