WA sergeant on why new police reform law caused deputies to called off K9 search for murder suspect

Sgt. Darren Moss Jr., with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department in Washington state, said on Sunday that officers have been “unclear on whether they’re going to be OK to use force” in certain situations given the new police reform law and have been advised to take a “conservative approach” in those cases.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said it responded to 911 calls reporting shots being fired at a Kohl’s store in Puyallup on Wednesday night and when "deputies arrived on scene they found a young male deceased in the north side of the parking lot."  "Several people reported seeing a male in a black shirt and black pants running from the shooting and deputies checked the area to see if they could locate anyone matching the description," the department said in a statement. "A K9 officer was on scene within minutes, but because probable cause had not been developed for a particular individual, they decided not to track for the possible suspect since they could not use force to detain him." House Bill 1310, which went into effect in Washington state last weekend, indicates that police now need probable cause before using force, according to KING5.