A California law intended to strengthen police accountability by transferring use-of-force investigations to the state Attorney General's office is instead causing years-long delays. The average fatal shooting investigation takes nearly two years and five months, with 13 cases exceeding three years—past the statute of limitations for most crimes.
No officer has been prosecuted or decertified under the program. Families of victims, like Jeanelle Couch, whose son David was killed by a CHP officer in 2023, wait years for answers.
The delays erode trust and leave officers in limbo. The DOJ blames underfunding but says improvements are underway.