Status still unknown for police who shot, killed Allentown man July 24

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — More than a week after Allentown police officers fatally shot a 27-year-old man near downtown, it remains unclear whether those officers are still on duty.

Officers fatally shot the man — later identified as Dominick Hogans, of Allentown — in the 600 block of Turner Street after he fired at them July 24, Allentown police said in a news release.

• Allentown police shot 27-year-old Dominick Hogans early Monday morning
• Hogans, of Allentown, died less than an hour after police shot him, according to the coroner 
• Several top police officials have declined to answer whether they are following the department’s policy for officers who fire their guns

The Allentown Police Department posted that news release around 9:15 a.m. July 24, less than six hours after Hogans died at a local hospital. But top APD officials have released no information about the shooting since.

Police Chief Charles Roca told LehighValleyNews.com July 24 that the department would “not be releasing any further information.”

“If anything develops that we would be able to release, we will notify the media accordingly,” he said in an email.

Assistant Police Chief Michael Becker declined July 25 to answer any questions, including whether officers who fired their guns during the fatal shooting are on leave.

Captain Thomas Anderson on Friday said “APD has no comment” in response to several questions about the department’s use-of-force policy and whether officials are following it.

The Allentown Police Department’s use-of-force policy states:

“When a Police Officer’s use of force causes death, or serious physical injury, the officer shall be placed on administrative leave/duty after completing all administrative investigation requirements, and until it is determined by a mental health professional and the Chief of Police that the Police Officer is ready to return to duty.”

Transparency 'behooves everybody'

The Lehigh Valley Justice Institute — an independent research, policy and advocacy group — has urged local police departments to prioritize transparency in the wake of shootings by officers.

Speaking to LehighValleyNews.com Friday afternoon, LVJI Founder and Executive Director Joe Welsh questioned the department’s decision not to address the status of officers who fired their guns Monday morning.

“I would be hard-pressed to think of a reason why not disclosing whether or not the officer involved was on paid administrative leave somehow would compromise an investigation,” Welsh said. “I mean, that would be the only legitimate reason for withholding that information.”

Welsh said there are “legitimate reasons” for police to withhold some details of investigations into shootings by officers. But he noted “there certainly have been instances” of police departments in the U.S. not releasing any information because investigations are “ongoing.”

“It behooves everybody to have as much transparency as possible, given all the considerations” of an investigation, Welsh said. “Because the less transparency, the more people are going to reach their own conclusions.”

The Allentown Police Department’s policy indicates shootings by officers are investigated internally and by the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.

Investigators should work to “make sure that all the stones were turned (over) and there’s a very clear picture of exactly what happened,” Welsh said.

“Obviously, people want to know; they want answers; but I think it is important that it be a full investigation,” Welsh said. “But at the end of it, then the details should be released to the public.”

Though those details can be graphic, police should release them because “it gives the community confidence that the proper procedures were followed and that a full investigation took place,” Welsh said.

'Taking the ultimate act'

The Lehigh Valley Justice Institute published a report in August 2021 that advocates for local police departments to track and publish data about officers using force on the job.

Calls for police transparency “amplified” after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers in May 2020, Lehigh Valley Justice Institute researchers wrote in the report.

“Now more than ever, Americans are questioning the actions of law enforcement agencies,” researchers wrote. “Data collection provides clarity and transparency to the communities these agencies serve.”

The LVJI report says publishing use-of-force data would “protect the safety of community members and officers alike.”

Police should publish data about any incident where an officer uses force, especially when they fire a weapon, Welsh said.

“Any time an officer pulls his trigger, they’re taking the ultimate act,” he said.

But residents “should keep in mind that these are very split-second decisions that have to be made,” he said.

The Lehigh Valley Justice Institute’s August 2021 report details data dashboards that several law enforcement agencies have created in recent years to ensure transparency after use-of-force incidents.

The report includes an overview of the New York Police Department’s Force Dashboard, which Welsh said Police Chief Charles Roca is looking to implement in Allentown.

The NYPD dashboard displays data on incidents in which officers use force against civilians, as well as when force is used against them.

Including those statistics on a use-of-force dashboard could provide “a more balanced view” by offering more data about incidents involving police officers, Welsh said.

The LVJI chief said he hopes the Allentown Police Department will soon roll out its own dashboard, which “will give everyone a better view of how many use of force incidents there are — whether ruled to be excessive or not — within the department.”

“It's very important to have transparency in place because that, ultimately, is the thing that gives the community confidence that the use of lethal force is a last resort,” he said.