Families, community groups urge POST to investigate San Diego officers in 2023 fatal shooting

Relatives of Christopher DeArmond and community advocates told the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board at its Oct. 9 hearing that the San Diego Police Department failed to act after DeArmond was fatally shot on Jan. 20, 2023, and urged the board—s staff to review the officers— POST certifications.

The remarks came during the meeting—s public comment period. Patricia DeArmond, the victim—s sister, described the shooting and told the board she believes officers used excessive force and failed to provide medical aid. "This whole case has been a cover up," Patricia DeArmond said, and she named officers she said were involved, including Officer Christopher Aguilar, Officer Jacob Myers and Sergeant Renee Murillo. She said her family has filed a complaint with POST.

The calls for review were echoed by callers on the line and local advocacy groups. Cindy Nunez, who identified herself during the call as a sibling of another person killed by law enforcement, urged POST to "review the certification of these officers" and said officers took actions she characterized as violations of POST standards, including using nondepartment-issued hollow-point ammunition and delaying medical aid. Melissa Miramontes of United Families for Justice said she and other community members would push more families to file complaints and provided a POST reference number for a complaint she had filed.

Board Chair Joyce Dudley acknowledged the speakers and directed them to POST staff. Assistant Executive Director Anne Marie Delgado repeatedly advised callers that POST has a formal complaint-intake process and cannot discuss factual details of open investigations in a public forum because doing so could jeopardize an investigation. Delgado told callers POST had sent an acknowledgment letter for at least one complaint in July and that timelines can vary: staff said they often must await agency documents and that it can take several months to receive and analyze them.

POST staff displayed and read the complaint-intake contact information during the meeting and said the intake address is complaintintake@post.ca.gov. Staff also said they would follow up directly with families that have already submitted complaints to confirm status and next steps. "If the complaint has already been filed, POST will be in contact to speak with you about the process and to help you understand what the next steps are," Delgado said.

Callers described specific concerns that POST may review, including: that officers at the scene used hollow-point ammunition; that paramedics and first responders did not render CPR or an AED; that a police canine was deployed minutes after the shooting; and that the victim—s family was denied a citation after the stop. Speakers named the hospital where the victim was pronounced and local agencies they said were nearby, including UC San Diego (UCSD) and the Barrio Logan Fire Department.

Several callers asked for immediate decertification, saying that keeping officers in the field was a continuing threat to the community. "We are urging you POST to use your authority to decertify these officers who engage in coercive, abusive, and retaliatory behavior," Melissa Miramontes said. Callers also asked POST to increase transparency about how it reviews complaints and to confirm when families will receive substantive updates.

POST staff told the board that intake acknowledges complaints quickly and refers them to the employing agency, and that POST will provide follow-up when agency responses arrive. During the same meeting staff later described agency reporting timelines more generally and said the typical interval from an agency—s initial report to a final agency disposition is about eight months, though POST review and any additional POST investigation can extend that timeline.

The board did not take any immediate enforcement action on the public comments themselves. POST staff said they would assist callers with filing or checking the status of complaints and reiterated that specific factual allegations about pending complaints should be submitted through the complaint intake process and not aired in public comments so as not to jeopardize investigations.