The Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) oversees and investigates the conduct, policies, and practices of the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD). As part of their duties, CPOC reviews police shootings. The police department calls these officer-involved shootings.
To learn more about policies related to the use of force and police shootings, visit the PPD’s website.
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Investigation process
After a police shooting:
- Police Radio immediately notifies a list of contacts, including the executive director of CPOC. The CPOC investigation unit goes to the shooting location.
- Two units within the police department investigate the shooting. The Office Involved Shooting Investigation (OISI) team considers whether to recommend criminal charges. The Internal Affairs Shooting Team decides whether the shooting violated PPD policy.
- The police department and CPOC assess the evidence. Both groups review any audio and video footage. This may include footage from body-worn cameras.
- The police department may interview officers and other witnesses. PPD policy allows 72 hours for any officer who fired their gun to give a statement.
- The OISI Unit writes a report about the incident. The report summarizes the investigation and recommends criminal charges when appropriate. The OISI Unit sends the report to the police commissioner, the District Attorney’s Office, and CPOC.
Following the investigation:
- A police officer may face criminal charges. The District Attorney’s Office makes any criminal charging decisions. This is a criminal proceeding.
- The police department may also discipline an officer for violating PPD policy. CPOC sits on the Use of Force Review Board with PPD leadership. This board reviews the case to determine whether the shooting violated PPD policy. If it did, the police department may discipline or dismiss the officer. This is an administrative proceeding.
You can learn more about these two types of proceedings in our blog post.
CPOC’s role in shooting investigations
CPOC’s role in these investigations will expand in the future. This may include:
- Observing more interviews by PPD investigators.
- Reviewing more physical evidence and documents.
- Issuing a report at the end of an investigation.
- Recommending criminal charges, administrative sanctions, or policy changes.
2025 police shootings
| Date | Case number | Location of shooting | Police district | Officer on duty or off duty? | Civilian injury | Officer injury | Body-worn camera? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/12/2025 | 25-02 | 800 block of Master St. | 26th | On Duty | Injured | No | Yes |
| 2/3/2025 | 25-05 | Southbound I-95 offramp for PHL Airport | Airport | On Duty | Killed | No | No |
This table was updated on February 4, 2025.