DA's investigation finds Marina Police officers did not break the law in fatal shooting of Seaside man.

Following a months-long investigation of the fatal, officer-involved shooting of Seaside resident Ronald Chyron Tinsley during a traffic stop in Marina in January, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office determined that the Marina Police Department officers involved in the incident did not break the law. 

A letter from the DA’s office to Marina Police Chief Randy Hopkins says that the use of force by Officer Shivdev Dhillon and Officer Brodie Sievers during the incident “does not show beyond a reasonable doubt the officers in question committed any crime.”

“Specifically, there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt Officer Shivdev Dhillon and Officer Brodie Sievers did not have an actual and reasonable belief that Mr. Tinsley posed a danger of great bodily injury or death to an officer or civilian when they discharged their firearms,” the letter states. 

The DA’s investigation included a review of the interviews of the involved officers and witnesses, audio recordings by DA investigators, 911 reports, radio traffic and calls to dispatch, photographs of the crime scene and from Tinsley’s autopsy, body worn and dash camera videos, other physical evidence and reports in this case and in prior cases, according to the letter, which summarizes the shooting. 

Now that the DA has made its determination, the Marina Police Department will begin an administrative review of the shooting. According to an MPD statement, Hopkins has directed an external investigation firm to review the video, reports, witness statements and forensic material to determine whether the officers followed department policies, their decision-making aligned with professional standards and if any policy violations occurred.

“Any use of deadly force demands the highest level of scrutiny and accountability,” Hopkins said in the statement. “We deeply value the independent role of the District Attorney's Office and commend their work to bring this phase of the review to a timely conclusion for our community. Now, we will turn our attention to our rigorous administrative review to ensure all department policies, training and professional standards were followed.”

The external review is expected to take 60 days or longer to complete, when it will be reviewed by the Marina city attorney before being released to the public.