Daly City hires private firm to investigate fatal police shooting

Daly City announced Thursday that it has hired Jordan Consulting and Investigations, a firm run by former Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan, to investigate a fatal police shooting from earlier this year.

On April 7, Daly City police fatally shot San Francisco resident Roger Cornelius Allen following a struggle over what turned out to be a replica gun.

The consulting firm will review the Police Department’s policies, such as ones around use of force and how the department communicates with the public following those cases.

According to the Police Department’s use of force policy posted online, officers may use deadly force “only as a last resort when reasonable alternatives have been exhausted or are not feasible to protect the safety of the public and police officers.”

Officers are also required to give a verbal warning before any deadly use of force and to report the incident afterwards, explaining why they believed the use of force was reasonable.

San Mateo County’s District Attorney’s Office is leading an investigation to determine whether officers acted within the law. At the time of the shooting, police were not equipped with body cameras and there was no video evidence, according to District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

In early May, the city approved the purchase of body and vehicle cameras for the Police Department. Officers are receiving training and will begin using the equipment in the next few months.

Later in May, City Attorney Rose Zimmerman asked the office of state Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate the shooting. Bonta declined since the District Attorney’s office is already investigating and the city had planned to hire an independent expert.

Daly City Police Department policies are available online at https://www.dalycity.org/420/Police-Accountability.