OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), today released a report on Charles Towns’ death from an officer-involved shooting in Altadena, California, on January 22, 2023. The incident involved officers from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). The report is part of the California Department of Justice's (DOJ) ongoing efforts to provide transparency and accountability in law enforcement practices. The report provides a detailed analysis of the incident and outlines DOJ's findings. After a thorough investigation, DOJ concluded that criminal charges were not appropriate in this case.

“We acknowledge that this incident has caused grief for those impacted, including Mr. Towns’ family, the law enforcement agencies involved, and the wider community,” said Attorney General Bonta. "The California Department of Justice is committed to working in partnership with all law enforcement agencies to ensure that we uphold a legal system that is not only fair and transparent but also accountable to the residents of California. We believe that it is our duty to foster trust within our justice system, and we will strive to ensure that the rights and dignity of all individuals are respected and protected.”

On January 22, 2023, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a man, later identified as Mr. Towns, wielding a knife or scissors and attempting to stab people in Altadena, California. As 911 calls continued to report Mr. Towns moving through the streets and attacking people, deputies arrived. Mr. Towns fled and approached a family exiting their vehicle. He stabbed one of them in the mouth, and deputies fired at him. When he continued to move toward them after being struck, they fired again, resulting in his death.

Under AB 1506, which requires DOJ to investigate all incidents of officer-involved shootings resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian in the state, DOJ conducted a thorough investigation into this incident and concluded that the evidence does not show, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the deputies involved acted without the intent to defend themselves and others from what they reasonably believed to be imminent death or serious bodily injury. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution of the deputies. As such, no further action will be taken in this case.

As part of its investigation, the DOJ has identified several policy recommendations that it believes will help prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The first recommendation is that that LASD implement further training to ensure its deputies use deadly force in a manner that minimizes the risk of harm to bystanders and crossfire to other deputies. The second recommendation is that LASD provide further training on sequestration of officers following an officer-involved shooting. The third recommendation is that that LASD revise its policies and provide guidelines for determining who will be in command and control when multiple deputies are present during a critical incident. The fourth recommendation is that LASD update its policies to include a firearms re-holstering policy and conduct training on that policy. The fifth recommendation is that LASD implement refresher training regarding their policy on activation of body worn cameras. The sixth recommendation is that LASD provide guidance to deputies regarding interactions with individuals who are or may be under the influence, including listing signs and symptoms of both mental health conditions and substance abuse issues.