ASSEMBLY BILL 1506 and DOJ
ASSEMBLY BILL 1506 AND THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
On September 30, 2020, Assembly Bill (AB) 1506 was signed into law, which now requires the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate all incidents of officer involved shootings (OIS) resulting in the death of an "unarmed civilian." Historically, these critical incidents had been primarily handled by local law enforcement agencies and the state’s 58 district attorneys.
DOJ investigates and reviews all such incidents for potential criminal liability as prescribed by AB 1506. This is enacted in California Government Code section 12525.3.
When a qualifying officer-involved shooting occurs, the California Department of Justice will, as soon as feasible and appropriate, disseminate relevant information and materials about covered incidents and make public its determinations regarding the criminal prosecution of such incidents. Where criminal charges are not appropriate, the California Department of Justice will prepare and make public a written report, which will consist of:
A statement of facts, as revealed by the investigation;
An analysis of those facts in light of applicable law;
An explanation of why it was determined that criminal charges were not appropriate; and
Where applicable, recommendations to modify the policies and practices of the involved law enforcement agency.
More information on AB 1506 and its provisions can be found here.