A 4735: Enacts "Cariol's Law"; provides for a duty to intervene when a police officer or peace officer observes another police officer or peace officer using physical force that such officer reasonably believes to be clearly excessive or beyond that which is objectively reasonable under the circumstances.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4735 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 6, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CHANDLER-WATERMAN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GIBBS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the executive law and the labor law, in relation to enacting "Cariol's Law" The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Cariol's law" 2 or "duty to intervene". 3 § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 839-a to 4 read as follows: 5 § 839-a. Excessive use of force; duty to intervene. 1. Definitions. 6 For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the 7 following meanings: 8 (a) "police officer" shall have the same meaning as provided for in 9 subdivision thirty-four of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law; 10 (b) "use of force" shall include, but shall not be limited to: 11 (i) brandishing, pointing, using or discharging a firearm at or in the 12 direction of another person; 13 (ii) using a chokehold or similar restraint that applies pressure to 14 the throat or windpipe of a person in a manner that may hinder breathing 15 or reduce intake of air; 16 (iii) displaying, using or deploying a chemical agent, including, but 17 not limited to, oleoresin capsicum, pepper spray or tear gas; 18 (iv) brandishing, using or deploying an impact weapon, including, but 19 not limited to, a baton or billy club; 20 (v) brandishing, using or deploying an electronic control weapon, 21 including, but not limited to, an electronic stun gun, flash bomb or 22 long-range acoustic device; or 23 (vi) engaging in conduct which results in the death or serious bodily 24 injury of another person. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04222-02-5 
 A. 4735 2 1 (c) "objectively reasonable" shall mean a standard used to judge a 2 police officer's use of force which are reasonable based on the totality 3 of the circumstances known to such officer at the time of such use of 4 force; 5 (d) "physical injury" shall have the same meaning as provided for in 6 subdivision nine of section 10.00 of the penal law; and 7 (e) "serious physical injury" shall have the same meaning as provided 8 for in subdivision ten of section 10.00 of the penal law. 9 2. Duty to intervene. An on-duty police officer who is present and 10 observes another police officer using physical force that such officer 11 reasonably believes to be clearly excessive or beyond that which is 12 objectively reasonable under the circumstances, shall be required, when 13 such officer has a realistic opportunity to do so safely, to intervene 14 to prevent the use of such excessive force. 15 3. Failure to intervene. (a) A police officer who fails to intervene 16 when appropriate may: 17 (i) be held criminally liable for any offense under the penal law for 18 which failure to intervene satisfies every element of such offense, or 19 for any offense resulting from such officer's failure to intervene; 20 (ii) be subject to termination by such officer's employer if such 21 officer: 22 (1) had a realistic opportunity to intervene safely; 23 (2) acted while purporting or pretending to act within the scope and 24 performance of such officer's official duties; and 25 (3) deprived an individual of rights, privileges, or immunities 26 secured by the Constitution or the laws of the United States. 27 (iii) be held civilly liable to any aggrieved party when such officer 28 observes or has reason to know that: 29 (1) excessive force is being used; 30 (2) an individual has been unjustifiably arrested; or 31 (3) any constitutional violation has been committed by a fellow offi- 32 cer. 33 (b) When a police officer fails to intervene in an incident which 34 results in death or serious physical injury, such incident shall be 35 referred to the district attorney. 36 (c) The commissioner shall authorize an investigation of any allega- 37 tions of a police officer's failure to intervene. Such officer may be 38 placed on administrative leave during the period of such investigation. 39 Any final disciplinary action shall be subject to arbitration pursuant 40 to article seventy-five of the civil practice law and rules. 41 (d) Police officers who falsely report incidents of inappropriate or 42 excessive use of force by a fellow police officer may be subject to 43 criminal liability pursuant to section 240.60 of the penal law. 44 4. Liability. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, 45 any police officer found to be civilly liable for excessive force shall 46 be liable for any judgments made against the municipality, state agency 47 or public authority if such judgment is directly connected to such offi- 48 cer's use of excessive force. 49 5. Reporting. Upon a police officer's observation of the use of phys- 50 ical force by another police officer who such officer reasonably 51 believes to be clearly excessive or beyond that which is objectively 52 reasonable under the circumstances, such officer shall file a formal 53 complaint with the chief of such officer's police department, the county 54 sheriff or the superintendent of the state police. Reporting require- 55 ments shall apply whether the use of physical force occurred while the 
 A. 4735 3 1 offending officer was on or off-duty. Failure to report shall be grounds 2 for discipline, including termination. 3 6. Retroactive protection for intervening officers. Any police officer 4 terminated for reporting the use of physical force by another police 5 officer who such officer reasonably believes to be clearly excessive or 6 beyond that which is objectively reasonable under the circumstances, 7 within the twenty year period prior to the effective date of this 8 section, may have such termination reviewed. 9 § 3. Subdivision 2 of section 740 of the labor law, as amended by 10 chapter 522 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows: 11 2. Prohibitions. An employer shall not take any retaliatory action 12 against an employee, whether or not within the scope of the employee's 13 job duties, because such employee does any of the following: 14 (a) discloses, or threatens to disclose to a supervisor or to a public 15 body an activity, policy or practice of the employer that the employee 16 reasonably believes is in violation of law, rule or regulation or that 17 the employee reasonably believes poses a substantial and specific danger 18 to the public health or safety; 19 (b) provides information to, or testifies before, any public body 20 conducting an investigation, hearing or inquiry into any such activity, 21 policy or practice by such employer; [or] 22 (c) objects to, or refuses to participate in any such activity, policy 23 or practice[.]; or 24 (d) if such employee is a police officer, as such term is defined in 25 subdivision thirty-four of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, 26 observes any police officer using physical force against an individual 27 that such officer reasonably believes to be clearly excessive or beyond 28 that which is objectively reasonable under the circumstances and such 29 police officer intervenes. 30 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.