UPDATE: Investigation Finds San Leandro Officers Didn't Follow Use of Force, Taser Policies in Fatal Walmart Shooting
SAN LEANDRO (CBS SF) -- Officials in the city of San Leandro on Thursday released findings of an independent investigation into a deadly police shooting at a Walmart nearly a year ago.
Last April, two officers responded as Steven Taylor was wielding a bat and threatening store employees. The encounter ended with both of the officers deploying their Tasers against Taylor before he was fatally shot.
In September, former San Leandro Police Officer Jason Fletcher was charged with voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Taylor.
Fletcher shot Taylor within 40 seconds of arriving at the Walmart store after Taylor refused commands to drop the aluminum bat.
The independent investigation focused on Fletcher -- who used his Taser prior to discharging his service weapon -- and Officer Stefan Overton, who discharged his Taser.
The investigation concluded that Overton's use of a Taser was not in compliance with department policies regarding Taser deployment and the use of force.
While the criminal case against Fletcher is still pending, the San Leandro Police Department will also be making a determination concerning disciplinary actions regarding Officer Overton by June 18th.
Among the other findings in the report were that the officers failed to effectively deploy de-escalation tactics and crisis-intervention techniques.
The report also stated that "had a different approach been taken, the use of deadly force might have been avoided altogether."
"As Mayor, I feel I can speak for the City Council and many in San Leandro who often reflect on the events of April 18, 2020, and the painful loss of Mr. Steven Taylor. This is not the end of the process. There are still criminal, civil, and administrative actions to take in this matter which limits how much we can elaborate on the content of this report," Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter said in the statement released with the report. "I want to make it clear to the residents of San Leandro, that we will learn from this tragic event and make any needed changes to our training, outreach, and culture to ensure something like this never happens again."
The report is available for the public to read online at the San Leandro city website.