Finally, two months after five officers shot and killed 26-year-old black man Mario Woods, the US Department of Justice will launch an investigation into his death. The killing has prompted widespread criticism of the SFPD after cell phone videos surfaced calling into question whether the officers’ use of force was justified. Woods’ family members have already filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of San Francisco.
The federal review will “help identify key areas for improvement” in the department’s operational policies, training practices, and accountability procedures, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement released Monday.
The five officers who opened fire on Woods on December 2, 2015 were all put on leave but have already returned to their jobs in the two months it has taken for the federal investigation to launch. The graphic video below shows them firing 19 shots into a man appearing to be walking away from the officers.
