California DOJ investigating fatal Fremont police shooting at senior living center

The California Department of Justice will investigate Friday's fatal police shooting at a Fremont senior living center, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Monday.

The shooting happened at Aegis Living on Walnut Avenue at about 3:38 on Friday, after the Fremont Police Department said an armed man with a duffel bag had been holding two hostages in a meeting room at the center.

An Aegis Living spokesperson told CBS News Bay Area that the person arrived at the center armed "following a family dispute."  

"Multiple police officers responded and located the suspect holding an apparent firearm," police said a press release on Friday. "During the interaction, an officer-involved shooting occurred."   

Police said that after examining the suspect's weapon, investigators contacted the state DOJ's Police Shooting Investigation Team to take over the investigation. Police have not provided additional details about the weapon or the shooting, and have not identfied the suspect.

Bonta said in Monday's press release that the DOJ's investigation was pursuant to AB 1506, which mandates an independent review when a police shooting results in the death of an unarmed person. The statute does not apply to the deaths of armed individuals at the hands of law enforcement.

When there is ambiguity over whether someone was armed or not at the time of a fatal police shooting, a provision of the California Government Code enacted under AB 1506 authorizes state prosecutors to take jurisdiction "if there is a reasonable dispute as to whether the civilian was armed."

Bonta said that once the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to DOJ's Special Prosecutions Section for independent review. Anyone who has information related to the shooting can report it by calling (916) 210-2871.