Lethal force

Most familiar, perhaps, are the four cases that involved people suffering from mental health breakdowns.

Jeremiah Chass, a 16-year-old Sebastopol boy, was shot in March 2007 as he fought with two sheriff's deputies sent to help after he resisted his parents' efforts to take him to a hospital. Chass also threatened his younger brother.

Santa Rosa police officers shot and killed Richard DeSantis, 30, less than a month later. DeSantis' wife had called for help after he fired a handgun into the ceiling of their home, saying he had heard voices from the attic.

Jesse Hamilton, a 24-year-old mental health client, was holding a kitchen knife and saying "slashing, slashing" as he advanced on police at a Santa Rosa halfway house in January.

In March, a Rohnert Park police officer responding to a 911 call shot and killed Heather Billings, 31, who was said to be suicidal and was holding a razor inside her mother's home.

Two other fatal shootings occurred while criminal suspects were under surveillance.

Circumstances varied, of course, but each case involved snap decisions made in difficult situations, followed by months of investigation and evaluation by the district attorney and other outside agencies.

Final decisions clearing the officers of criminal wrongdoing have been issued by the district attorney in the Chass and DeSantis shootings.

A press release issued Friday by District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua describes the situation faced by the four officers at DeSantis' home on April 9, 2007.

They knew shots had been fired and that DeSantis' wife and children were home. A dispatcher heard shots over the phone and, the release said, Sgt. Rich Celli was concerned about hostages or "an active shooter situation."

DeSantis was outside with his wife, who was holding a child, when officers got there. He initially followed orders to lie down on the driveway, but he got up and ran toward the officers.

After a non-lethal weapon that shoots plastic projectiles failed to stop him, Celli and two other officers shot at DeSantis with conventional firearms. He was hit twice in the chest and died. All three officers said they fired because they feared for their lives.

Some people have criticized the police response in each of these cases. Others question the independence of investigations by outside agencies and call for creation of a citizen review board.

We haven't seen any evidence to undermine Passalacqua's conclusion that the DeSantis shooting -- or any others -- was justified.

But there are legitimate public concerns about the use of lethal force and the training for police officers who regularly deal with people suffering breakdowns, especially since the closure of inpatient psychiatric facilities in Sonoma County.

A public presentation of the findings in the DeSantis case and others like it could allay some concerns.

But a civilian review board may not provide that forum because of a 2006 state Supreme Court ruling that eliminated public access to police disciplinary proceedings. Since then, some cities have scaled back the information released by their civilian review boards about officer-involved shootings.

A Friday afternoon press release isn't the answer, either.

Passalacqua and other law enforcement leaders should release full reports and consider a public presentation to the Board of Supervisors or a city council, with an opportunity for public questions.