The Seattle P-I reports:

A group pushing an initiative that would require background checks for private gun sales in Washington state released a study Friday finding that many of the police deaths here since 1980 have come at the hands of people legally prohibited from having firearms.

…

Under federal law, background checks through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, known as NICS, are required for purchasing firearms from licensed gun dealers, but not at gun shows or for private transactions. I-594 would require that such sales or other transfers be conducted at a licensed dealer, with background checks being conducted as if the licensed dealer were selling the weapon.

The measure includes exceptions for emergency gun transfers concerning personal safety, gifts between family members, antiques and loans for hunting.

“For too long, prohibited purchasers — whether they be felons, domestic abusers or the seriously mentally ill — have been able to evade the background-check process by purchasing a gun either at a gun show or online from a private seller,” Don Pierce, a former Bellingham police chief, told reporters on a conference call. “This is a dangerous loophole in our law that puts all of us at risk, including law enforcement officers.”

Read the whole article here.