Police Commission Signals Change To LAPD Officer-Involved Shooting Inquiries

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Members of the civilian-based Los Angeles Police Commission are considering a policy shift in how officer-involved shootings are evaluated, according to reports.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck was on hand Tuesday at the LAPD Administration Building in downtown Los Angeles for the Police Commission meeting, which included the inspector general's report on the Categorical Use of Force Policy and a proposed rule change that would take into account an officer's actions before firing his weapon.

The five-member Commission currently focuses its shooting inquiries on whether an officer believed his life was in peril at the time the weapon was discharged, according to the Los Angeles Times.

While any revision would likely involve only a few words being added to the existing policy, Police Commission president Steve Soboroff told KNX 1070's Jon Baird the commissioners want to keep pace with recent rulings by the California Supreme Court.

"It takes into account the tactics used before the shooting as part of the overall evaluation, instead of doing them separately," Soboroff said.

The commission determined earlier this month that eight Los Angeles police officers violated department policy when they opened fire on a pair of women delivering newspapers in Torrance during the manhunt for fired LAPD Officer Christopher Dorner.

Last summer, the City Council approved a $4.2 million settlement with the two women who were injured in the shooting -- Margie Carranza and her mother, Emma Hernandez.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)