The California Department of Justice on Oct. 16, 2026, released its report on the Nov. 19, 2023, death of Jesse Dominguez, who was shot by a California Highway Patrol officer in Los Angeles, and concluded the evidence does not support criminal charges.
The review was conducted under Assembly Bill 1506, which requires the DOJ to investigate all officer-involved shootings in California that result in the death of an unarmed civilian.
According to the DOJ, a CHP officer responded to a 911 call reporting a pedestrian walking in the traffic lanes of westbound Interstate 105 near the Wilmington Avenue offramp. When the officer contacted Dominguez and asked him to put his bags down and show his hands, Dominguez did not comply and continued to walk away, the department said.
As the officer attempted to handcuff him, a fight broke out and Dominguez shocked the officer with a stun gun, according to the DOJ. The officer then fatally shot him.
The DOJ concluded that the evidence does not show, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted without the intent to defend himself and others from what he reasonably believed to be imminent death or serious bodily injury. As a result, it said there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution and no further action will be taken.
“My office is continually working to build a safer California and AB 1506 is crucial in that process. Incidents like these are always tragic,” Attorney General said. “We hope this report helps bring a sense of clarity to the community and those personally impacted.”
The DOJ made two recommendations to the CHP: additional training on operational safety tactics, including using time, distance and cover when an officer acting alone tries to detain a non-compliant person; and additional training on the legal standard for when deadly force is authorized under Penal Code section 835a, subdivision (c)(1)(A).
The full report is posted on the attorney general's website.
State
Rob Bonta
Attorney General · Democrat
Named 2 times in this story.
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