RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin appeared before a legislative task force at the state capitol Monday to recommend changes to a law that prevents law enforcement officers from being charged with a crime in uses of deadly force unless it can be proven that they acted with "malice" and without "good faith."
According to The Seattle Times, the task force voted to remove the references of "malice" and "good faith" from the law.
"The major part of it is that it sends a message to the community that law enforcement and the agencies that represent law enforcement, that they're serious about the gravity of their decisions and about the standards that they hold themselves to," Baldwin said.
"And it sends a deep message to the community of just that. And an olive branch, if you will, that they're willing to work with the community. It heals a much-needed relationship. As far as being able to prosecute police officers, obviously that's not the intent. We're the only state in the country that has the malice clause, so it's catching up with the times if we're moving it. The police officers, they are still protected to the full extent of the law for use of deadly force in which it is justified under the law."
Baldwin, the son of a police officer, earlier this season formed a "Building Bridges" task force with the Seahawks, aimed at using his platform as a professional athlete to bring law enforcement closer to the communities they serve.
Baldwin also met with Gov. Jay Inslee (D) during his visit to Olympia.
Thanks for stopping by the office @DougBaldwinJr and for your work bringing communities together. pic.twitter.com/En89gE3tsq
— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) November 21, 2016
"The perspective that I tried to relay is that I know it's a complex situation," Baldwin said. "I know that police officers have a very difficult job. They have to make split-second decisions that will impact the communities that they serve, but also their families and their own personal lives. But that doesn't mean that we're OK with status quo. There's still a lot of work that needs to be done, things that can change, things that will change, that have changed. But you don't rest on those and look at them as that's it. There's a continuous battle, a continuous change, a continuous fight that needs to happen."
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said earlier this week that he's proud of Baldwin.
"I think he's going to be a legitimate factor bringing about change," Carroll said. "It's wonderful to see him making the time and applying himself so well. He has such a unique background with his dad being in the law enforcement and all that. His background and just handling this kind of an effort is really showing up."