More than 150 officials signed up to testify at police accountability hearing

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    HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) — A hearing about police accountability in the state got under way on Friday morning.

State lawmakers said they discussed a bill that includes additional training, requires all officers to wear body cameras and would have police complaints reviewed by a private investigator.

The General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee conducted the hearing online over Zoom.

The new bill comes amid nationwide protests demanding change after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Floyd was unarmed and in police custody.

“The actions of Derek Chauvin and the death of George Floyd were shocking and unacceptable and illegal,” said Andrew Matthews, Connecticut State Police Unions. “Furthermore, we understand as law enforcement professionals, we must be held accountable acting outside our authority and color of law.”

Legislators have heard from people on all sides of the issue today.

Some say the police accountability bill has gone too far, others say it hasn’t gone far enough.

Several speakers say it’s the first step in the right direction.

“The color of my skin alone is the determining factor of how my arrest or detainment will go,” said Wendy Tyson-Wood of Waterbury. “I pray that police realize that their mandate to protect and serve must be colorblind.”

The judiciary committee listening to passionate and at times painful testimony from more than 150 people across the state about its police accountability bill.

“When we talk about reasonable, we have to talk about what police officers have found reasonable to do to us, and we have to tighten up that language,” said Barbara Fair, a West Haven activist.

Today the committee is hearing from attorneys, activists, politicians, and residents giving their own take on the 63-page document.

The police accountability bill is wide-ranging, banning choke holds unless an officer is in danger, narrowing the circumstances under which deadly force can be used, diversifying police departments, mandating the duty to intervene, and holding officers accountable for murder and misconduct.

President of the Police Chiefs Association Darren Stewart says they support the increase of minority recruiting a review of personnel, but they are confused by the limiting of legal immunity for officers.

“The elimination of this protection will make recruitment and retention harder or even impossible. It will ultimately force the cost of reasonable police upon the citizenry in terms of tax dollars,” he said.

Attorney Andy Matthews echoed those concerns.

“Some will retire, resign or significantly reduce their interaction with the public for fear of being sued,” Matthews said.

Some speakers feel that legislators should add more provisions to the bill.

The hearing will continue until 10 p.m. Friday night.

The legislature will vote on the Police Accountability Bill in the next two weeks.

One part of the bill limits immunity for police officers from civil suits.

Many of today’s speakers say they want the committee to get rid of this provision.

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