Black Californians are about three times more likely to be seriously injured, shot, or killed by the police relative to their share of the state’s population.
However, when we also consider civilians who sustained other serious injuries, 56 percent were unarmed. In about 80 percent of encounters resulting in death or a gunshot wound, the civilian was armed with a weapon, underscoring the risky environments officers face.More than four in ten people treated for non-fatal gunshot wounds from a police encounter were diagnosed with a mental health condition, an alcohol- or substance-related disorder, or both.Vehicle and pedestrian stops account for about 15 percent of police encounters in which a civilian is seriously injured or killed.Gunshots are by far the most common cause of death: nearly 250 people are shot by police each year. About 195 people die each year from interactions with California law enforcement.All parties should be aligned in accurately documenting these incidents and reducing their frequency. While most use-of-force incidents are not considered misconduct, civilian fatalities and injuries-particularly of unarmed individuals-can nevertheless harm the public’s trust in law enforcement. In this report, we examine the available data to provide a baseline understanding of police use of force and misconduct in California. Over the past decade, the high-profile deaths of civilians-especially Black civilians-at the hands of law enforcement have heightened public scrutiny over policing and created momentum for state reforms.
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