Police firearms-discharge review board reports three Q4 incidents as 'in policy'; several OIS cases remain pending

At the Jan. 25 meeting, Sergeant Mike Nevin of the Internal Affairs Division presented the fourth-quarter 2011 firearm-discharge review board findings. The board reviewed three incidents: an officer-involved shooting during a Bayview traffic stop on Sept. 30, 2010 (OIS 10-010), a Dec. 10, 2010 Mission District incident at Garfield Square in which an officer was assaulted and subsequently fired, and an Aug. 31, 2011 Ingleside event in which an officer discharged a firearm at a dog that attacked an officer. The review board and department leadership characterized the three cases as "in policy." "That concludes the firearm discharge review board report for the fourth quarter 2011," Sergeant Nevin said.

The presentation included process context: OIS reviews involve multiple layers (command review, Commission review, firearms discharge review board) and parallel criminal reviews by the district attorney and, in some matters, the state attorney general. Nevin reported that since the prior quarterly report the unit completed two summary letters signed by the chief and received a DA letter on one outstanding shooting; overall, there were about 10 pending OIS-related matters, leaving approximately nine active pending cases after accounting for completed items.

Why it matters: Officer-involved shootings are subject to multiple internal and external reviews; Commission scrutiny and public transparency of findings matter for accountability. Commissioners questioned specific interpretations of policy (for example, the meaning of an officer becoming positioned in front of a vehicle) and sought clarity about the strength of the department's policies.

Next steps: The Firearms Discharge Review Board will reconvene for scheduled reviews in February; Commissioners requested follow-up as outstanding DA or AG decisions are received.