Names of Police Officers Involved in Shootings May Be Sought under the California Public Records Act

In Long Beach Police Officers Association v. City of Long Beach (Los Angeles Times), published May 29, 2014, the California Supreme Court affirmed a trial court's denial of a police union's request for an injunction preventing release under the California Public Records Act of names of Long Beach police officers involved in shootings over a five-year period.  Reviewing the history of cases addressing release of officer information under the Act, the court concluded that the names of officers involved in shootings are not "personnel records" under the Pitchess statutes, and do not fall under any of the exceptions to the Act.  It addressed the concern that releasing officer names could result in retaliation as too generalized to bar release of any officer names.  It noted that the trial court's denial of injunctive relief was without prejudice to any later evidentiary showing that disclosing a particular officer's name would endanger that officer or the officer's family.