Maxine Waters is making a second attempt to persuade the Department of Justice to investigate shootings by police officers in Inglewood, California. From her letter:

On Sunday, August 31, 2008 another citizen of Inglewood was shot and killed by an Inglewood Police Officer under questionable circumstances. Press reports described Eddie Felix Franco as a 56-year old homeless man who died a short time after he was shot by Inglewood Police. In addition to Mr. Franco, another bystand­er was injured in this shooting and an accompanying dog was shot and killed at the scene.

It is my understanding that the Department of Justice is inclined to allow a pending local investigation of police misconduct to be concluded before a federal investigation is begun. However, four fatal shootings in four months demonstrate an alarming number of deaths at the hands of a relatively small police force.