Editorial: California’s shameful delays probing police killings of unarmed civilians

After two years, Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office failing to complete mandated investigations

Another disturbingly lethal shooting by Bay Area cops. Another promise to investigate made by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. And, if history is any guide, another case that will take his office years to resolve.

This time, the action takes place in Martinez. Officers can be seen firing at a car as it drives away in the video. Tommy Wilson Jr., 22, was critically injured but is on the mend. He’d been shot in the back twice. Tahmon Wilson, his 20-year-old brother, died. He’d taken a bullet to the back of the head.

It’s difficult to see how firing into a moving vehicle while suspects try to flee can be justified. It’s difficult to understand how an officer can shoot someone from behind. That is why an impartial investigation is sorely needed.

Bonta announced hours after the killings that his office would conduct an investigation as required by state law. The legislation stems from legislation introduced by Bonta and more than 40 other legislators just three weeks after a Minneapolis officer murdered George Floyd.

Jumping on the bandwagon of police accountability was good politics in 2020. However, three years later, Bonta has been pitifully slow in carrying out the legal mandate of the law he championed. Delays must be eliminated.

Assembly Bill 1506 mandates that his office conduct an investigation into fatal police shootings of unarmed civilians. Bonta announced in July 2021 that 27 special agents and six supervisory agents would begin investigating an estimated 40-50 police shootings per year.

“One of the most important tasks ahead for public safety and our society is building and maintaining trust between our communities and law enforcement,” Bonta said in a statement released to the media. “Impartial, fair investigations and independent reviews of officer-involved shootings are one essential component for achieving that trust.”

That was less than three months after Bonta was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Xavier Becerra’s departure for Washington to become President Biden’s health secretary. That was back when Bonta was preparing for a full four-year term in 2022.

Bonta and his office have since dropped the ball. Their stated goal is to have the investigations completed within a year. It’s not even close. The office has only completed three investigations, all of which were in Southern California. The last report was issued about five months ago.

Because of the delay, families are still waiting for answers about their loved ones’ deaths. Some police departments have used the ongoing investigations to justify withholding records and videos of shootings. Family members’ civil lawsuits have been postponed. A sheriff’s deputy who fired the fatal shot in one case has returned to duty.

The official explanation for the delays in Bonta’s office is that “fair, thorough, complete, and comprehensive” investigations are its top priority. That is an admirable goal. However, at some point, the delays jeopardize justice.

Officials also claim that the office has not received the full funding requested for the job. However, they lacked readily available data to back up their claim. Furthermore, it’s difficult to understand how, with a staff of 33 people and an annual caseload that was only about half of what was originally projected, there have been almost no results so far.

Unfortunately, Bonta appears unwilling to walk the walk when it comes to police accountability. He has managed to turn a program designed to ensure police accountability into yet another barrier to transparency.

It’s a disgrace.