Sunday, December 19, 1999
Agencies with review power
After a Cincinnati officer shoots someone, four routine and two optional investigations follow:
• Cincinnati Police homicide unit: Responds to the scene and investigates for criminal violations.
• Hamilton County prosecutor: Reviews findings of the homicide investigation and determines if a crime was committed by the officer.
• Cincinnati Police Internal Investigations Section: Responds to the scene, reviews the other investigations and looks for policy and procedural violations.
• Cincinnati Office of Municipal Investigations: Required by city law to begin an immediate investigation at the scene of all intentional police shootings — hit or miss. The city agency was designed to serve as an independent watchdog and report its non-binding rulings to the city manager.
• Cincinnati Citizens Police Review Panel: Has the option of reviewing other investigations for thoroughness and accuracy after they are complete. The new panel held its first meeting in October.
• U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ): Conducts its own probe for criminal violations in some cases, including the fatal shootings of Lorenzo Collins in 1997 and Michael Carpenter in 1999. The FBI completes a preliminary investigation and presents the findings to DOJ, which determines if a full-scale investigation is needed.
Oversight, discipline erratic
Shots fired: The cases
A mistaken shot in the dark
Toughest decision takes a split-second
No one knows national figures on police shootings
About this series
Agencies with review power
Experts who reviewed shootings
