St. Paul police's proposed use-of-force policy goes before public

The St. Paul Police Department begins a series of public meetings Thursday on its proposed use-of-force policy.

The heart of the policy is a color-coded graph that indicates five levels of suspects' potential resistance to officers. The levels range from "compliant," which carries a "low probablity of causing injury," to "aggravated aggressive," which is "likely to produce death or serious bodily injury."

The document also includes general guidelines for the appropriate action by officers. Responses range from "low-level force," which includes everything from verbal communication to "less-lethal weapons and munitions," to "deadly force," which includes vehicle ramming and the use of firearms.

Chief Todd Axtell has said the proposal comes after months of research, and is consistent with standards from former President Obama's task force on 21st Century policing.

The first moderated public input sesssion on the plan is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the city's Public Safety Training Center. Two more meetings are scheduled for Feb. 22 at the Western District Offices at 389 N. Hamline Ave., and Feb. 28 at the Wellstone Center, 179 E. Robie St.