When a police officer, including security officers with a commission to carry a weapon, engage in conduct where civilians or other law enforcement personnel are injured or killed in Jackson County, prosecutors begin a review of potential criminal conduct. In many instances, prosecutors may be alerted and called to the scene of the incident. In all instances, prosecutors will be involved in the investigation and review of the incident.

The office works with local authorities, as well as the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office, to ensure that confrontations between citizens and police officers or security personnel are investigated and reviewed.

Once an investigation is completed, a committee of specialized prosecutors, chaired by Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, reviews the evidence and legal issues. A decision is recommended to Baker, who details the legal analysis and conclusion in a letter to the police chief of the agency involved.

Since 2014, the Prosecutor’s Office has sent letters to police chiefs. Those letters are listed below.