OLYMPIA, Wash. — Jill Brown insisted her grieving sons look up and see what was happening around them.
“I wanted to see the support,” said Brown.
Last summer her husband, Clark County Sheriff’s Sergeant Jeremy Brown, was shot and killed while he was on a surveillance mission for the department.
Prior to his August memorial service, members of the community Brown served lined the 15-mile long procession route.
Jill Brown said changing existing laws regarding police policies could prevent future memorial services for members of law enforcement.
“I'm not a politician. I'm not a public speaker,” said Brown. “I have learned in this process that there's only one thing bigger than my fears and insecurities, and that is my love for him.”
Brown said her husband was worried about the impact of a series of law enforcement-related bills passed by Washington legislators in 2021.
The more than one dozen laws included bills to restrict when police can use force, what tools law enforcement can use, and when potential suspects can be chased.
That law prohibited the pursuit of a suspect unless an officer had probable cause, proof a crime had been committed, and then only if it was a violent, sexual, or drunk driving-related offense.
A 2022 bill that would allow pursuits when an officer has “reasonable suspicion” passed out of the House and is expected to be debated by the Senate.
While Brown appreciates that movement, she said officers should have the ability to stop and pursue someone when they are suspected of any crime.
She believes the man accused of killing her husband would have been pursued and stopped hours before her husband was killed because of the man’s potential link to stolen weapons.
“The car was let go. And Jeremy went to do surveillance at the location where these individuals resided, and he was ambushed in his car,” said Brown.
Does she think the new law, which went into effect days before her husband was killed, contributed to her husband’s death?
”No one has confirmed for me that the laws are why that car was not pursued,” said Brown, “but this has been my platform for six months and no one has come forward and said it wasn't.”
Brown has been working with legislators to try and get the laws changed.
Rep. Gina Mosbrucker is on the House Public Safety Committee, which voted to lower the threshold for pursuits and officer use of force.
The Republican from Goldendale does not think the measures go far enough.
“While I appreciate the efforts, communities are still less safe due to only making minor changes to reflect the major flaws we fought against last session,” said Mosbrucker.