(SACRAMENTO, CA) – The California State Assembly has approved AB 284 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), which would to create an independent review unit within the California Department of Justice to investigate officer-involved shootings. The measure was approved on a vote of 41 to 23.
The aftermath of high profile cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner have led to a public outcry for an increased level of independent oversight of officer involved shootings. In July 2016, Joseph Mann was shot 18 times by Sacramento Police Department officers in an incident that was captured by video and made public. The local district attorney found that the officers involved acted lawfully.
Continued incidents of officer involved shootings of civilians have caused a growing public skepticism and a perceived conflict of interest of the current process where local district attorneys investigate local law enforcement. AB 284 will help build public trust and confidence in these investigations by allowing an independent review of these incidents by professionals within the California Department of Justice.
Similar laws requiring the independent investigations of officer involved shootings are currently in place in the states of Wisconsin, New York, Illinois and Connecticut.
“California’s trust in the integrity of officer involved shooting investigations is broken,” said Assemblymember Kevin McCarty. “My AB 284 will establish an independent process we need to build public confidence in officer involved shooing investigations and ensure that justice is administered fairly to all Californians.”
AB 284 now moves to the State Senate for further consideration.
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Kevin McCarty represents California’s 7th Assembly District, which include the cities of Sacramento, West Sacramento and unincorporated Sacramento County. McCarty serves as Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance.