The following is a summary of the California Department of Justice Report on the Investigation into the Death of Ruben Ramos on May 27, 2023. The full 31-page report can be found HERE, which was released on October 9, 2024.
Background – Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506)
On May 27, 2023, Ruben Ramos was fatally shot by officers of the Burbank Police Department (BPD) in a parking lot of Home Depot in Burbank, California. This officer-involved shooting was investigated under California’s Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), which mandates the California Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate any fatal officer-involved shootings of unarmed civilians. AB 1506, signed into law in 2020 and effective in 2021, was introduced to foster accountability and transparency in police actions, with the goal of rebuilding trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. The DOJ’s investigation, which spanned months, involved a comprehensive review of the incident, including body-worn camera footage, eyewitness accounts, and forensic evidence. The report concludes with findings that no criminal charges will be brought against the officers involved…