Approaches to Reporting the Results of Investigations into Police Involved Fatalities

June 30, 2016 — Volume 15

There has been great scrutiny of police-involved fatalities and how they are handled by prosecutors. Here are four thoughtful approaches by prosecutors on how they have reported their findings when no criminal charges are brought (in alphabetical order by jurisdiction). Three articles on this subject are also included.

East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

The Final Report of the circumstance, the investigation and the determination of criminal responsibility for the officer involved death of Calvin Smith on February 13, 2016, District Attorney Hillar Moore (5/9/2016) Read

Baton Rouge DA Moore promising transparency in police shooting investigations, The Advocate (5/14/2016) Read

Hennepin County (Minneapolis), Minnesota

Speech announcing the decision regarding the investigation of the November 15, 2015 death of Jamar Clark, including legal standards and factual overview, County Attorney Michael Freeman (3/30/2016) Read

Report of the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office Regarding the Shooting Death of Jamar Clark on November 14, 2015 (3/30/2016) Read

Salt Lake County (Salt Lake City), Utah

Letter to Sheriff Winder and Chief Burnett re Officer Walker’s Use of Deadly Force, District Attorney Sim Gill (6/22/2016) Read

Use of Deadly Force by Law Enforcement: Building Public Trust, The Prosecutor, NDAA, District Attorney Sim Gill (Summer 2015) Read

Suffolk County (Boston), Massachusetts

Report on Findings in the March 27, 2015 Shooting Death of Angelo West, District Attorney Daniel Conley (4/12/2016) Read

Investigating Police-Involved Fatalities: The Boston Model, The Prosecutor, NDAA, District Attorney Daniel Conley (Winter 2015) Read