This month, Aurora gave its police officers the authority to shoot at a moving vehicle when it poses a danger to the officer or members of the public — a shift from previous policy — while other departments, including Denver, have moved away from such practices.

The new directive went into effect March 1.

It advises that officers “should not” discharge a firearm at a moving vehicle unless a person in the vehicle is immediately threatening another person with deadly force by means other than the vehicle.

The previous policy, implemented by former Police Chief Dan Oates to conform with the best practices of other departments, stated that an officer “will not” discharge a firearm at a moving vehicle under the same circumstances.

The timing of Aurora’s change in policy comes as police and use of force are under heavy scrutiny nationwide. Fatal police shootings, calls for police to use body cameras, and departments that were once armed with military weapons have prompted criticism.

The department said the policy represents a minor change and that the intention is to continue to make such shootings rare.

According to the Police Executive Research Forum, based in Washington D.C., shooting at vehicles “must be strictly prohibited.” That was documented in its “Use of Force: 30 Guiding Principles” report issued in late January.

“Agencies should adopt a strict prohibition against shooting at or from a moving vehicle unless someone in the vehicle is using or threatening deadly force by means other than the vehicle itself,” the report said.

Dan Montgomery, who runs Professional Police and Public Safety Consulting in Westminster, said there are too many unknowns when an officer fires at a moving vehicle. Bystanders could be hit by a stray bullet, and a car can careen out of control and into people nearby, he said.

“There’s just too many inherent risks,” said Montgomery, a former Westminster police chief.

The Denver Police Department changed its use-of-force policy in June to prohibit shooting at a moving vehicle. The change happened several months after Denver officers shot and killed 17-year-old Jessica Hernandez, who was driving toward them in a stolen car.

Aurora Police Division Chief Jim Puscian, who oversees compliance and professional standards, said the change is in language only and that the police chief always has the right to rule on a policy violation, even when shooting at a moving vehicle.

The new policy dictates that officers should shoot at a moving vehicle only as “a last resort,” he said.

“It may seem significant, but we’ve added strict scrutiny,” Puscian said. “It really changes nothing. The chief back then wanted to send a strong message, but in practice, his directive was ‘should not.’ “

About three months ago, Aurora officers appeared to have violated department policy regarding deadly use of force when two cops shot and killed a suspected car thief outside a 7-Eleven in Denver.

That shooting is under investigation, said Denver Police Department spokesman Sonny Jackson.

Aurora’s policy shift is a subtle change but one that certainly gives police — in writing — the ability to shoot at a moving vehicle. The new policy does, however, strongly advise against shooting at moving vehicles.

“Shooting at or from moving vehicles is highly discouraged and must be the only objectively reasonable and necessary option under the circumstances,” the new policy reads. “Any time a member shoots at or from a moving vehicle, their actions and decision-making will be subjected to strict scrutiny.”

Aurora police Sgt. Bob Wesner, president of the Aurora Police Association, said the policy change lines up with Colorado law that allows an officer to use lethal force in any situation deemed important to protect the officer’s life or the life of others.

“It used to say you ‘will not’ shoot. And now you can, but you need to justify it,” Wesner said of Aurora’s policy.

Aurora has been updating its use-of-force policies since the new year started and has made several other changes. Many of those are administrative in nature, including how, when and by whom use of force should be reported and investigated.

For example, use-of-force reporting and investigating is now ranked in tiers. Virtually any time an officer puts hands on someone, the officer is now required to report it.

Also, there is a new provision that calls for an officer to attempt first to de-escalate a situation that could lead to use of force. That was not on the books previously, Puscian said.

Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or @cillescasdp