Department of Justice to investigate San Francisco Police Department

The Department of Justice will administer a "comprehensive review" of the San Francisco Police Department, following the Dec. 2 shooting of Mario Woods, a 26-year-old black man.

The investigation will be officially announced Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports, and will be led by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, an agency that works with police forces to improve relationships with communities.

In the case of Woods, Police Chief Greg Suhr said he was allegedly carrying a knife that he used in an earlier stabbing, and five officers shot him after they couldn't disarm him with pepper spray and beanbags. A witness captured the shooting on camera, and critics say it shows Woods with his arms at his sides, struggling to walk, the Chronicle reports. John Burris, the attorney representing Woods' family, says he is in favor of the review. "This can be the first step in healing the division between the minority communities and the police department," he said. "Of course, the investigation should be without limitations and should allow for a wide open investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the policies, procedures, and training...."

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