California police chief says proposed use-of-force law will further put officers in danger

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Newman police chief scolds California lawmakers at memorial ceremony for Cpl. Ronil Singh

On 'Fox & Friends,' Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson says California's 'outrageous' policies are making officers' jobs more difficult and will cost more lives like Cpl. Ronil Singh.

A California police chief slammed a bill currently being debated by the state’s lawmakers that would toughen the standard for when officers can legally use deadly force, saying it will only result in “more people with their names on those memorial walls for years to come.”

Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson, in an appearance Thursday on "Fox & Friends," lamented Assembly Bill 392 – which if passed, would update the "reasonable" deadly force standard to "necessary," in addition to making it easier to file criminal charges against officers who use lethal force if other options are available.

“You're going to have hesitation on an officer's part and you’re going to have more people with their names on those memorial walls in the years to come,” Richardson said when asked what would happen if the bill becomes law. “Recruitment and retention is going to be more difficult for law enforcement.”

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Richardson added that officers: “signed up for this job to protect people, to do the right thing.

“Is all of law enforcement good? No, there are some bad apples out there,” he told ‘Fox & Friends’. “But the majority of us are good and we are trying to do the right thing.”

One of Richardson’s former officers, Cpl. Ronil Singh, was allegedly killed the day after Christmas in 2018 by an illegal immigrant suspected of driving drunk.

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As Richardson continues to mourn the loss of Singh, he also said Thursday that California’s “outrageous” policies eventually are going to force him to depart the state.

“I have approximately seven more years left in California and then I will be leaving,” he said.

Fox News’ Travis Fedschun contributed to this report.