Twin Rivers Police Clarifies Role After Criticism

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The Twin Rivers Police Department is promising to limit its area of responsibility following a surge of criticism after the death of a man suspected of shooting one of their officers.

In a Wednesday evening announcement, department officials said they will focus on patrolling schools and parks and will not pull over drivers and stop pedestrians unless they see a threat to public safety.

Two weeks ago, an angry crowd greeting Twin Rivers representatives at a community meeting about the death of 32-year-old Tyrone Smith, the suspected shooter of an officer who was captured alive but died in the back of a Sacramento Police car while being transferred for questioning..

Smith allegedly shot a Twin Rivers police officer four times on October 22 before sparking a manhunt lasting for hours before his capture. Sacramento Police officials said officers did not cause Smith's death, but added the in-car camera system that may have shed clues on his fate was not working.

Sacramento NAACP president Betty Williams said Wednesday's announcement came shortly after she met with the U.S. Attorney and the FBI about complaints about officers' behavior on the streets.

"I think it's a little ironic that this memo comes almost immediately after that meeting. Interesting," Williams said.

Twin Rivers officials said they plan to keep holding community outreach meetings in order to hear "constructive input" on their operations.

The officer who was wounded in the October shooting is expected to make a full recovery.