OAKLAND, Calif. — The California Department of Justice on March 4, 2026 released a report examining the fatal 2022 San Francisco police shooting that left Rafael Mendoza and Micheal MacFhionghain dead, concluding that investigators could not establish a legal basis to prosecute the officers involved.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Department of Justice published the report on the deaths of Rafael Mendoza and Micheal MacFhionghain following a police shooting in San Francisco.
According to a press release from the California Department of Justice, Attorney General Bonta published the report in compliance with Assembly Bill 1506, which mandates that certain incidents be investigated by the Department of Justice, including the shooting in San Francisco.
According to the report, on May 19, 2022, two officers from the San Francisco Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting a man assaulting another man westbound on Mariposa Street underneath the Interstate 280 freeway. The attacker in the report was later identified as Mendoza.
By the time the officers arrived at the scene, Mendoza was pinned by another man, MacFhionghain, who was holding a knife.
The officers commanded MacFhionghain, according to the report, to “drop the knife.”
Two more officers arrived soon after.
SFPD Officer Aidan O’Driscoll, according to the report, said at the scene that he wanted both men to “work this out.”
Between 7:55 p.m. and 8:10 p.m., about 20 officers were at the scene and forced a “circle-like perimeter” around Mr. Mendoza and Mr. MacFhionghain, according to the report.
For “over eight minutes,” officers issued “hundreds” of verbal orders, some of which were in Spanish, for MacFhionghain to drop the knife.
Officers used foam impact rounds, oleoresin capsicum (pepper spray) and a beanbag shotgun in an attempt to subdue MacFhionghain, none of which were successful.
According to the report, Officer O’Driscoll issued one last command when MacFhionghain began to make a “downward motion with the knife” at approximately 8:10 p.m.
This action prompted four officers to fire in rapid succession.
Three officers carried .40-caliber Sig Sauer P226 semiautomatic handguns and one officer carried a .223-caliber Colt M4 tactical rifle, the combination of which struck and killed both MacFhionghain and Mendoza.
Pursuant to California law, the Department of Justice’s California Police Shooting Investigation Team (CaPSIT) investigated the incident the day after the shooting.
CaPSIT reviewed evidence including the 911 call, body camera footage and autopsy reports.
According to the report, CaPSIT conducted several interviews with officers on the scene.
Officers said they fired only after MacFhionghain began to make a movement they believed threatened Mendoza.
According to the report’s findings, the Department of Justice could not establish a legal standard to prosecute the officers for murder or manslaughter.
The department emphasized the multiple attempts by officers to use nonlethal force and stated that the evidence did “…not establish that the shooting officers were objectively unreasonable in using deadly force against Mr. MacFhionghain.”
Assembly Bill 1506 requires the Department of Justice to recommend actions to prevent similar incidents.
The report concludes with a series of recommendations for the San Francisco Police Department and other law enforcement agencies across the state.
The report recommends that SFPD emphasize training officers to establish one officer at a scene responsible for issuing commands.
During the 2022 shooting, multiple officers issued orders at the same time, potentially confusing MacFhionghain and Mendoza.
“AB 1506 is a critical transparency and accountability tool, and our hope for this report is to provide some understanding and aid in advancing towards a safer California for all,” Attorney General Bonta said in the Department of Justice press release.
“Loss of life is always a tragedy. Together, we aim to foster a system that not only protects the rights of individuals but also promotes trust and accountability between law enforcement and our communities.”
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
