Seattle City Council member Nick Licata says he will draft state legislation that would make it easier to prosecute cops who kill civilians. The state should remove the burden to prove "malice"—otherwise known as "evil intent"—from deadly-use-of-force laws because that is nearly impossible, he says.

"You basically have to prove that a police officer was intentionally out to kill someone," says Licata. "I think the general public recognizes that this poor wording needs to change—there should be a more active description."

The proposal from Licata, who doesn't yet have a sponsor for the bill in the state legislature, comes after the high-profile killing of John T. Williams by Seattle police officer Ian Birk. In that case, King County prosecuting attorney Dan Satterberg refused to press charges, saying he couldn't prove malice.

Passing the legislation won't be a cakewalk. Licata would likely need to earn the support of Satterberg and local police unions (or at least pacify them). And city officials throughout the state might balk at a more liberal law "that exposes them to greater liability," Licata explains. "If we broaden the law to include negligence, does that mean they'll have more lawsuits against the city? That's a hurdle that could kill potential legislation."