South Carolina · Proposed Legislation · 2026
The Cyrus-Harlins-Martin Pursuit and Deadly Force Accountability Act
A citizen-authored bill to establish enforceable standards for police pursuits and the use of deadly force in South Carolina — with mandatory reporting, independent review, and meaningful consequences when those standards are violated.
Summary of the Cyrus-Harlins-Martin Pursuit and Deadly Force Accountability Act
The central principle of this proposal is simple: a person who chooses to continue a confrontation by pursuing someone who is retreating should not be able to benefit from a self-defense claim solely because the person they chased eventually stops running.
01
An individual attempts to retreat or leave the confrontation.
02
Another person chooses to pursue and continue the encounter.
03
By continuing the pursuit, the pursuer is considered the aggressor.
04
The retreating individual stops fleeing and stands their ground.
05
The pursuer cannot automatically claim self-defense simply because the person they pursued decided to stop running and defend themselves.
The proposal is intended to clarify how self-defense laws apply in situations involving pursuit, retreat, aggressor status, and the use of deadly force.
The names this bill carries
Cyrus.
Harlins.
Martin.
This bill is named to honor South Carolinians — and Americans — whose lives ended in encounters that demanded, and never fully received, accountability. Their names are on this legislation so that no future name has to be.
If you would like to share the story of a loved one, or correct any detail in this proposal, please contact the organizers through the support page.
