DENVER – Denver police said Tuesday they have changed use of force guidelines after deadly encounters between officers and drivers, saying police no longer can fire on moving vehicles unless the driver is shooting at officers or civilians.

“We want the first reaction to be get out of the way versus pull your firearm,” Police Chief Robert White said at a news conference.

Under the previous guidelines, police could fire on a car if it simply was bearing down on them and there was a chance they could be struck.

The change specifies that the moving vehicle itself cannot be considered a threat.

The Colorado chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union welcomed the change, saying it brought Denver in line with other departments across the country.

Qusair Mohamedbhai, a lawyer representing the family of 17-year-old Jessica Hernandez, who was shot and killed as she drove a car at police, also praised the new guidelines.

“The Hernandez family commends the Denver police for this much-needed policy change,” Mohamedbhai said. “However, the family continues to grieve the loss of Jessica, and the policy change demonstrates that Jessica’s death was completely unnecessary and illegal.”

The Hernandez shooting prompted small protests in Denver and came at a time of heightened national attention involving police use of force in the wake of the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York.

Last week, the district attorney decided no charges would be filed against two officers in the January shooting death of the unarmed Hernandez as she drove a stolen car toward them in an alley.

District Attorney Mitch Morrissey said the decision was made because the life of an officer was threatened.