Mr. ROBERT DEAN
Escondido, CA 92026
Office: 619-213-3301
Mr. Robert “Bobby” Dean is a well-known, highly regarded and highly respected Homicide Investigator within the Southern California law enforcement community. He achieved a reputation as one of the most experienced, knowledgeable and credible Homicide, Violent Crime, Use of Deadly Force, Officer Involved Shooting, In-Custody Death and Critical Incident investigative experts within the State of California.
Mr. Dean was a sworn law enforcement officer in both a voluntary and employed capacity for over 45 years. He began his law enforcement career in 1975 as a Volunteer Reserve Police Officer with the San Diego Police Department where he worked patrol and undercover assignments.
On April 4, 1977, Mr. Dean accepted a sworn position as a Deputy Sheriff with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department where he served for the next 28 years. He worked many assignments; Corrections, Patrol, Investigative, Supervisory and Administrative. During that time, he gained vast expertise in the field of violent crime, complex murder and the Use of Deadly Force investigations.
Specifically, Mr. Dean spent 8 years as a Sheriff’s Homicide Sergeant where he supervised Homicide Detectives, Criminalists and Crime Scene Specialists with their investigations. During his tenure with the Sheriff’s Homicide Detail, he investigated, supervised and consulted on over 250 murder, suspicious death, in-custody death and suicide cases and an additional 25 Officer Involved Shootings, Use of Deadly Force and In-Custody Death cases. Mr. Dean’s homicide experience includes the investigation of Special Circumstance Death Penalty cases, 1st and 2nd degree murder cases, both Voluntary and In-Voluntary manslaughter cases, justifiable homicide, self-defense cases, and Cold Case murder investigations.
In December 2004, and after retiring from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Mr. Dean accepted a position as a Criminal Investigator I with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. He was promoted twice and eventually retired honorably from the District Attorney’s Office on October 18, 2019 as a DA Investigator III.
Mr. Dean was initially assigned to the Superior Court Division to conduct following up investigations and prepare major cases for trial. After less than two years in that assignment, Mr. Dean was re-assigned to the District Attorney’s Special Operation Unit. In that assignment, and between 2006 and 2013, Mr. Dean was the Lead DA Investigator assigned to, and responsible for investigating all Officer Involved Shootings, Use of Deadly Force and In-Custody death cases that resulted in great bodily injury or death that occurred within the County of San Diego.
For seven years, Mr. Dean responded to, investigated, reviewed and consulted on every Officer Involved shooting and In-Custody death case that occurred within the County of San Diego. During his tenure with the District Attorney’s Office, he investigated and consulted on an additional 50 homicide cases and over 125 Officer Involved shooting and In-Custody death cases.
- Crime Scene Analysis
- Deadly/Excessive Force
- Evidence Analysis & Preservation
- Informants
- Jail Suicide
- Law Enforcement
- Police Procedures
- Private Investigators
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: Honorably Retired Homicide Detective Sergeant - San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department - 28 yrs.
Honorably Retired DA Investigator III, Homicide, Officer Involved Shooting, Use of Deadly Force, In-Custody Death, and Crimes Against Peace Officers Investigator for the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.
Owner - Bobby Dean Investigations
Basic POST Peace Officer Certification
Intermediate POST Peace Officer Certification
Advanced POST Peace Officer Certification
Supervisory POST Peace Officer Certification
California BSIS Licensed Private Investigator # 189087
- Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: CURRENT MEMBER: California Homicide Investigators Association (CHIA)
CURRENT MEMBER: California Association of Licensed Private Investigators (CALI) - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Instructor - San Bernardino County Sheriff's Training Academy:
• Basic and Advanced Homicide Investigation Courses
• Officer Involved Shooting Investigations
• Wire Tap Use in Homicide Investigations
Instructor - San Diego County District Attorneys Office - The District Attorney Office Response to OIS Investigations.
Instructor – Various OIS and Homicide Investigative courses provided to Detectives and DAI’s with the San Diego Police Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, Chula Vista and National City Homicide Details and SD County District Attorney’s Office.
2016 - California Homicide Investigator’s Association
Presenter - 2010 Investigation of Ambush Murder of SD Police Officer Christopher Wilson
2016 - California Gang Investigator’s Association
Presenter - 2010 Investigation of Ambush Murder of SD Police Officer Christopher Wilson
- Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No.
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: September - January 2020: Law Officer of Rains, Lucia, Sterns, St. Phalle & Silver re: Anaheim, Calif Police Fatal OIS
December 2020 - Center for Naval Analysis, Institute for Public Research re: Mid West Police Department Investigative Policies & Procedures
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Law Enforcement Use of Deadly Force - Fatal Officer Involved Shooting: Criminal Investigative and Administrative case file review, report preparation and testimony during Administrative Hearing.
Review and consultation on Law Enforcement Agency OIS Investigation Policies & Procedures. - Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 90%
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: 10%
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: Approx. 12 prior depositions.
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: October 2020
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: Previously qualified several times as an Expert Witness in Blood Spatter Pattern analysis at crime scenes in San Bernardino and San Diego County Superior Courts, Gun Shot Residue testing at Crime Scenes in San Bernardino County Superior Court, and interpretation of Gang Slang conversations obtained during recorded jail recordings in San Diego County Superior Court.
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: I have 45 years total in law enforcement during which time I have testified over 1,000 times in both Criminal and Civil cases in California (San Bernardino, San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles Counties), Georgia and Hawaii and Federal Courts in Los Angeles and Riverside in Homicide (Murder, Special Circumstances, 1st & 2nd Degree, Manslaughter, Self-Defense and Drug cases as well as Law Enforcement Critical Incidents involving the Use of Deadly Force, Officer Involved Shootings, and In-Custody Deaths and Crimes Against Peace Officer cases resulting in Great Bodily Injury or Death.
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: We offer full service consultation, review and expert witness testimony in all law enforcement related use of deadly force, Officer Involved Shootings, In-Custody Death, Crimes Committed Against Peace Officers and Critical Incidents including: a complete review of all investigative materials (police reports, scene photos, autopsy protocols, drug analysis, recorded and transcribed interviews, ballistics and trajectory evidence, computer and cell phone evidence ect.,) crime scene reconstruction, site inspections, interviews and re-interviews of witness, victim and suspects and supply an expert opinion of specific case related issues.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: No charge for initial phone consultations.
$125.00 an hour for office and scene consultations. - Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: $125.00 an hour.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: 125.00 an hour.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: 125.00 an hour.
Michael P. Runyon, Deputy DDA V
San Diego County District Attorney's Office
619 515-8400
Michael.Runyon@SDCDA.org
Jihan Maloney, Deputy DDA III
San Diego County District Attorney's Office
619 820-3345
Jihan.Maloney@SDCDA.org
Russell M. Perry, Esq.
Rains, Lucia, Stern, St Phalle & Silver
909 509-5001
rperry@rlslawyers.com
Vikas Bajaj, Esq.
Law Offices of Vikas Bajaj
619 525-7005
info@bajajlaw.com
Michael Reilly, Deputy District Attorney III
San Diego County District Attorney's Office
619 846-2325
michael.reilly@SDCDA.org
Oscar Hagstrom, Deputy District Attorney III
San Diego County District Attorney's Office
619 847-9594
oscar.hagstrom@SDCDA.org