Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta to law enforcement: Local and state police have authority to investigate crimes committed by federal agents

SACRAMENTO – In light of the federal government’s refusal to cooperate with state and local investigations of the two recent federal officer-involved shooting deaths in Minnesota, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in coordination with Governor Gavin Newsom, today issued a bulletin reminding state and local law enforcement of their concurrent jurisdiction to investigate potential state law crimes committed by federal agents. Federal and state law enforcement have long collaborated on investigations that result in both federal and state criminal charges, with a presumption that neither law enforcement agency will obstruct the other’s investigations or thwart the objective pursuit of justice. 

However, the federal government’s response to the recent tragic deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, and the federal government’s conduct in other recent cases, make clear that this administration not only will not investigate such incidents but will attempt to thwart other agencies from doing so. The California Department of Justice is prepared to support state and local law enforcement to assert their rights to access potential crime scenes and evidence relevant to an active investigation of potential state law crimes, including recourse to the state and federal courts as needed to request immediate emergency injunctive relief, as in Minnesota.