Statement on January 3, 2018 BPD officer-involved shooting

The following is a statement from BART Police Chief Carlos Rojas:

As a police department and a transit agency we at BART understand that any loss of life is tragic.  That’s why we are committed to a full and independent investigation into what occurred when one of our officers responded to reports of multiple shots being fired and a fight between two men near the West Oakland BART Station.  What happened January 3, 2018 is the subject of both an Oakland Police Department investigation as well as an internal review by the BART Police Department.   The BART Police Department is fully cooperating with OPD.  Standard procedure calls for the results of the OPD investigation to be reviewed by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.

It’s important to remember that any officer-involved shooting involving the BART Police Department is subject to additional reviews thanks to the reforms BART has implemented in recent years.  BART’s Independent Police Auditor responded to the scene of the incident and is monitoring the BART PD investigation.  Further, the BART Police Citizen Review Board is part of the BART Citizen Oversight Model and is able to advise the BART Board, General Manager, and Police Chief.  The Citizen Review Board can also participate in recommending disciplinary action if it is deemed appropriate.

Once the multiple investigations into this incident are complete, BART is committed to releasing all relevant information related to what happened including video from the involved officer’s body-worn camera.