Case isn’t closed on CA police killings law

 In the aftermath of the police killings of Stephon Clark in Sacramento and George Floyd in Minneapolis , California passed a law requiring the Attorney General’s office to investigate every fatal use of force by police officers against unarmed people. The 2021 law was meant to take power away from local district attorneys, who were perceived as biased in favor of local police departments, and to give oversight to the state Department of Justice.

But Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office has struggled to complete the investigations. CalMatters’ criminal justice reporter Nigel Duara has been tracking these cases and found that only three cases have been closed and 38 remain under investigation.

As families grow frustrated with the lengthy legal process, CalMatters hosted a conversation moderated by Nigel, called “ Fatal Shootings: California’s Bid to Police Its Police ” to consider the challenges of investigating police shootings.

All three panelists — Diana Becton, district attorney in Contra Costa County; Edward Obayashi, deputy sheriff and policy advisor for the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office; […]

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