After San Francisco police officers got into a shootout May 31 with Norris Reed III in the Bayview, the department held a virtual town hall (opens in new tab) to explain to the public what happened.
At the meeting 10 days later, San Francisco Police Department brass made statements and showed footage of the incident, which left two officers critically injured, from body-worn cameras. Members of the public were able to comment and ask questions.
Since 2021, public meetings (opens in new tab) following officer-involved shootings have been official department policy, a result of collaborative reform efforts between the SFPD, the federal government, and the state. The town halls were a key priority of the reform program, which was based on nationally recognized best practices that build trust with the public, increase transparency, and clarify facts…