Aaron Josefczyk/Reuters
As part of a settlement with the Justice Department, the Cleveland Police Department agreed Tuesday to some of the country’s most stringent standards governing the use of force by police. Cleveland officers are now prohibited from using force against suspects for talking back or running away. Firing warning shots and pistol-whipping are no longer allowed, and an independent monitor will track the department’s progress. “A fundamental goal of the revised use-of-force policy will be to account for, review, and investigate every reportable use of force,” the agreement states. The Justice Department sued Cleveland last year for violating residents’ civil rights, and the consent deal comes just days after a jury acquitted a police officer of murder for shooting two people in a stopped car.