Every year, countless individuals, including my beloved brother-in-law, lose their lives at the hands of law enforcement. My brother in law, Joshua Ramirez, was an unarmed individual who was shot at nine times and killed by a sheriff's deputy. The deputies words right after he discharged his weapon and was asked, “Did he have a gun?”, was, “IDK, he just started reaching, I couldn’t see”.  Powerful non-lethal tools such as tasers or 45 caliber less lethal alternatives could have been used instead of taking his life prematurely. This pain and loss could have been prevented with the prioritization of non-lethal force. Tragically, my family is not alone. According to Mapping Police Violence, 1,159 people were killed by police in 2020 alone in the USA, and 1,353 people in 2023, a shocking number of which may have been avoidable with the use of non-lethal methods first (source: Mapping Police Violence). Our law enforcement agencies must be mandated to exhaust non-lethal methods before resorting to firearms. This alteration in policy will not only prevent unnecessary deaths but also improve public trust in our law enforcement agencies. Sign this petition to stand up against unwarranted lethal force and protect innocent lives. Demand that our local law enforcement agencies prioritize non-lethal methods before resorting to lethal measures.