Minneapolis Police Make Changes Aimed at Defusing Conflicts

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Minneapolis Police Department has announced four policy changes aimed at defusing conflicts between officers and the public that can turn deadly.

Chief Janee Harteau said Wednesday the "sanctity of life" is the cornerstone of her department's use-of-force policy. She says officers should use de-escalation tactics whenever reasonably possible, while slowing down situations to reduce the risk of injury to officers and the public.

The changes also give officers a duty to intervene to prevent others from using force improperly and a duty to report misconduct.

Harteau says the changes were in development before the fatal shooting of Jamar Clark in a confrontation with officers last fall, and declined to speculate on how that incident might have developed differently if the new policies had been in place then.