Report: 'Sympathetic Gunfire' Led To 600 Rounds Fired By Police In Stockton Bank Robbery Standoff

STOCKTON (CBS13) — A national police group's report found what happened at the Stockton Bank of the West in July of 2014 was unlike anything seen before in the country.

A bank robbery, pursuit and hostage situation on July 16, 2014 ended in a deadly shootout that claimed the life of a hostage.

While the report from The Police Foundation didn't fault the Stockton Police Department, it did point out problems that the department needs to address. It doesn't challenge the department's use of deadly force, but says 600 shots fired was excessive.

The report describes what happened as "sympathetic gunfire," where some officers fired their guns because other officers around them were firing.

"There were some officers not knowing exactly what they fired at or otherwise put other officers in potential danger," said Police Chief Eric Jones.

The independent report reads another officer near the suspect vehicle tried to move, but was pinned down by officers shooting behind him.

Part of the problem was nearly three-dozen officers arriving on scene did not have a response plan. The foundation says Stockton Police officers were heroic in trying to stop three armed robbers with three hostages.

"There is no protocol, no specific policy for any specific part that occurred," Jones said.

One problem the foundation found was that the department needs to determine why some officers defied orders and joined the pursuit.

"There was a watch commander who did exactly that—said, 'No more units in this pursuit.' Some did not listen to the order," Jones said.

The report says officers did not fire at the robbers during the pursuit, and it wasn't until a captain witnessed the robbers pulling off of Highway 99 on the Morada exit and wait to ambush officers that he opened fire.

"Ambushes set up by the assailants, this shows these assailants were capable of anything," Jones said.

Jones says several training sessions have already occurred to improve officer response, but he's considering all of the report's recommendations.

No officer faces disciplinary action for the July 16, 2014 incident, and no one has left the force.