ABERDEEN, Wash. — Law enforcement agencies in Washington would need to return military vehicles to the armed forces under a new proposed law.
House Bill 1054 would ban departments from using vehicles known as MRAPs - mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles. The bill also prohibits chokeholds and limits when officers can use tear gas. More than 25 law enforcement agencies across the state have obtained MRAPs, usually for free, from a military surplus program.
“It’s a defensive vehicle for us, absolutely,” said Aberdeen Police Chief Steve Shumate.
He said his department shares the vehicle with neighboring agencies when they need the added protection of a bullet-resistant vehicle.
“We have situations at times where we respond and there’s individuals discharging firearms in a volatile situation,” Shumate said.
The bill has already passed out of the state’s House of Representatives. It awaits floor debate in the Senate. At a hearing earlier this month Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, called the MRAPs “scary looking.”
Sen. Jeannie Darneille, D-Tacoma, said members in her district question the message law enforcement is sending to the community.
”How did this vehicle that was developed for war conditions end up in our community?” Darneille said.
Shumate said when he became chief in 2018 he stopped allowing the use of the MRAP in parades or on school visits.
"I also recognize the sensitivity of military equipment with law enforcement,” said Shumate, “This piece of equipment though is, in my opinion, a necessity to safeguard our officers and deputies who need that type of protection in certain situations."