Why Does The Homicide Report List Killings by Police?
Any death of a human being by the hand of another is included in The Homicide Report. This is the Los Angeles County coroner’s definition of homicide. The definition wraps in both criminal homicides and justifiable homicides by police, as well as justifiable homicides by civilians acting in self- defense. The coroner’s investigation, which is separate from a police investigation, is what determines how the case is categorized. Coroner’s investigators take intent, as well as other factors, into account. To the coroner, the word “homicide” is a medical examiner’s term of art, not a legal concept, said coroner’s spokesman Craig Harvey. “If the D.A. chooses to file charges, or not file charges, it’s of no concern to the coroner,” he said. That’s why vehicular homicide and manslaughter cases often don’t qualify. The exception is cases in which a driver had a clear intent–in the eyes of the coroner’s investigators–to use a car as a waepon to kill another human being. Thus, the victims of t
