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At 11:28 p.m. on Sept. 1, 2013, a Santa Barbara Police Department officer shot and killed 46-year-old Brian Tacadena after the officer encountered Tacadena while patrolling Santa Barbara's Westside. “The People vs. Brian Tacadena” is an in-depth look into the sequence of events that led to the final moments in Tacadena's life. The story shows how momentum toward tragedy can build slowly over time and then accelerate with fatal consequences over the course of one evening. Besides being a compelling portrait of a troubled man, the story also shows what can happen when mental health illnesses are left largely untreated. The story also examines the cloistered nature of the Santa Barbara Police Department, especially when it comes to reviewing its officer-involved shootings. The story includes a supplementary video featuring the police department's public information officer discussing the case and how the police department investigates itself, a criminal law attorney specializing in police brutality, and interviews with Tacadena family members and community activists. The story also featured a slideshow of images from Tacadena's life as well as documents related to his mental-health treatment while incarcerated.