The Sacramento Police Department has concluded its internal investigation into the shooting death of Joseph Mann on Del Paso Boulevard last July.
Neither officer involved is still employed, but the results of the investigation are not being made public. California Penal Code 832.7 says the department may not release the results of an internal investigation, or how the officers left the department.
The department could release more information, including whether the officers retired or were fired, if Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert had filed criminal charges in the case.
She did not.
Police Chief Daniel Hahn said he wished the law were different.
"I think there was good intention in behind the laws when they were made in the sense that you want to protect the community," Hahn said. "But, you also want to protect the rights of the police officers and their privacy and things like that. But, circumstances where, like in this case, I wish we could speak more about it."
John Burris represented Joseph Mann's father in a lawsuit against the department.
"If you're going to have a deterrent effect on other officers who engage in that conduct, they need to know that this kind of conduct will result in your termination or significant punishment," Burris said. "If they don't know, then we don't know if it's a good deterrent. The fact they were able to ease out the door does not give a clear message."
The Sacramento Office of Public Safety Accountability said SPD's administrative investigation determined the officers’ actions violated several policies.
The OPSA recommended the department "develop a process where all critical incidents can be reviewed by a knowledgeable team of officers and the findings made public within a reasonable amount of time."
Officer Randy Lazoya retired earlier this year.
Internal Affairs completed its investigation in May.
The department said it did not announce the investigation was complete until Oct. 24, which is when Officer John Tennis officially became a former employee of the department.
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