The practice of withholding the names of police officers who use deadly force is coming under scrutiny from the American Civil Liberties Union, which says it might go to court to enforce the state’s public records act.
On Monday a San Francisco officer shot and killed a 19-year-old man who allegedly fired at police in the city’s Bayview district. On July 3 a BART officer shot a 45-year-old man who allegedly threatened officers with a knife at the Civic Center station.
San Francisco police said they are withholding its officer’s name under department policy. BART said it is restrained by a state Supreme Court decision making police disciplinary actions confidential.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the ACLU is considering legal action under the California Public Records Act. An ACLU attorney told the Chronicle that withholding the names denies the public’s right to “evaluate whether certain officers are engaged in the repeated, inappropriate use of force.”