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SFPD presents FDRB findings; 15 officer-involved shooting probes remain open
Summary
At its Nov. 8 meeting the San Francisco Police Commission received a Firearm Discharge Review Board briefing and an OIS status update from SFPD and Internal Affairs. Sergeant John Crudo said 15 OIS investigations remain open; commissioners pressed staff to speed administrative reviews even when DA charging decisions are pending.
Sergeant John Crudo, who identified himself as part of the Internal Affairs Division and the Officer-Involved Shooting investigations team, told the San Francisco Police Commission that the Firearm Discharge Review Board (FDRB) reviewed multiple cases from 2014'2017 and issued findings that in some incidents recommended retraining or policy notices while others were found to be in policy.
The presentation enumerated several past incidents and the board's determinations. Crudo summarized the department's work and said, "As of now, there are 15 open OIS investigations." He listed multiple completed reviews from 2014 and 2015 and described administrative recommendations such as retraining, equipment-policy findings and notices at weapons-cleaning stations.
Chief William Scott summarized a recent November 1 officer-involved shooting in the Castro neighborhood, saying officers were flagged to a suspicious vehicle and there was "an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and at least one officer," resulting in a 41-year-old officer being hospitalized in critical but stable condition and an adult suspect also transported with life-threatening injuries. Scott noted the department issued press release 17-165C and held a town hall to share available facts with the public.
Commissioners pressed staff about lengthy case timelines. Commissioner Hirsch asked why cases from 2014 and 2015 remained open for years; Crudo and Chief Scott explained that administrative review often depends on criminal charging decisions from the District Attorney's office and that a tolling provision may delay final administrative closure. Crudo said criminal and administrative investigations run in parallel but that some administrative steps await DA charging decisions; he also noted the department has received multiple charging decisions recently and is preparing FDRB presentations to close cases.
Chief Scott and staff told the commission they have adjusted procedures to accelerate the administrative portion of reviews when possible. Crudo said four new OIS investigations were opened in 2017 (including cases from May, September and November) and that some cases will be discussed in closed session later in the meeting.
Why it matters: prolonged timelines for OIS investigations have been a recurring source of public concern. Commissioners sought clarity about dependencies on DA decisions and were told the department plans to start administratively completing older, administratively ready cases rather than waiting years for criminal filings.
Next steps: staff said they will continue preparing summaries for the FDRB and coordinate with the District Attorney's office on charging decisions; two cases from 2017 were scheduled to be discussed in closed session at the same meeting.
