DC unit on police use of force is being split up

WASHINGTON (AP) — A specialized District of Columbia police unit that investigates officer-involved shootings is being split up, as the department’s leadership says the need for a team focused exclusively on that issue has diminished in the last decade.

The shake-up of the Force Investigation Team program, created in 1999 and credited with helping reduce the number of police-involved shootings, is part of a departmental reorganization, said Police Chief Cathy Lanier. The team is being integrated into the department’s internal affairs branch, and while some members have been transferred out, investigations into officer-involved shootings won’t change, the chief said.