4 Officers Involved In Fatal Shooting At Martinez Dispensary: Chief

MARTINEZ, CA — Four Martinez police officers were placed on administrative leave Friday per department policy after it was determined all four discharged their firearms in a fatal officer-involved shooting, Martinez police Chief Andrew White said in an update at 3:15 p.m.

Further, White said of two civilians taken to a hospital, one was dead.

The chief did not disclose the victim's name or the names of the officers.

Under Assembly Bill 1506, White said, the Martinez Police Department notified the California Department of Justice about the officer-involved shooting.

Late Friday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said an independent investigation into an officer-involved shooting of an unarmed civilian is mandated by AB 1506 and confirmed an investigation has begun into the Martinez shooting that reportedly occurred as officers responded to a call regarding a commercial burglary.

Bonta said his office will review the incident for potential criminal liability under the bill that took effect in July 2021 and helps build and maintain trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. When an officer-involved shooting occurs, transparent and open communication is critical to maintain public trust, Bonta states on the DOJ website.

"We will make every effort to provide updates as soon as feasible and strive to be as transparent as possible throughout the process about what information is currently available for disclosure. For ease of access and use, much of that information will be made directly available on this website."

Officers Broadcast "Shots Fired," "Officer Assaulted"

Multiple law enforcement agencies remained at the scene for several hours Friday, investigating the shooting that took place outside a cannabis dispensary.

The Martinez Police Department was alerted at 3:27 a.m. Friday that a video burglar alarm was activated at Velvet, 4808 Sunrise Drive. While en route to the scene, officers were advised there were multiple people at the business along with two cars, White said in an earlier news release.

Officers were at the scene within 5 minutes and saw one of the cars, a white SUV, leave the scene.

At this time, officers broadcasted that shots were fired and there was an assault on an officer.

The second car then tried to leave but crashed into a fire hydrant. Two people were in the car and both were taken to a hospital.

An officer was also hospitalized for what was believed to be a minor injury, White said.

Additional law enforcement agencies responded and secured the scene.

Under countywide protocol for officer-involved shootings, the Martinez Police Department initiated an investigation with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.

Friday afternoon, the area where the incident took place remained cordoned off as crime scene investigators collected evidence.

The investigating agencies were devoting "extensive resources to determine exactly what took place," White said.

As part of the investigation, footage from the involved officers' body-worn cameras was expected to be reviewed.

The investigation was in its early stages and was ongoing, the chief said.

"Additionally, our understanding of the incident may change as more individuals are interviewed and evidence is collected and analyzed," White said.

Patch reached out to a co-owner of Velvet, which was the city's first dispensary when it opened in 2020. The owner declined to comment Friday on the incident.

Police asked anyone with information regarding the incident to call Investigations at 925-372-3450.