The names of police officers involved in shootings or excessive force should be public.

The California Supreme Court made that clear in a 6-1 ruling in late May on the Los Angeles Times' request for the names of Long Beach officers involved in a shooting in 2010. Despite that ruling, Riverside Superior Court Judge John Evans last week approved a temporary restraining order blocking The Desert Sun's request for the names of officers who have fired a weapon on duty.

Wendell Phillips, a Malibu attorney representing the Palm Springs Police Officers Association, contends any officer who fires a gun is the victim of a crime, so the identity of the officer should be protected by the California Victims' Bill of Rights. He says the value of police anonymity outweighs the public's right to know. And he says the Supreme Court ruling is not retroactive.

Police officers are public employees performing a public function. When a tragedy occurs for whatever reason, it is certainly in the public's interest to know who was involved and whether the right decisions were made. Judge Evans has scheduled a hearing on Aug. 15.

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There have been at least 22 officer-involved shootings in the Coachella Valley since 2009, and 12 have been fatal. Four involved Palm Springs officers. Following the Supreme Court ruling, The Desert Sun filed public records requests with all Coachella Valley law enforcement agencies asking for the names of officers involved in shootings since Jan. 1, 2009. The California Highway Patrol and the Cathedral City Police Department have complied with our request and other departments, except Palm Springs, say the information is pending.

In the case that led to the Supreme Court ruling, Long Beach police were "responding to a resident's telephone call about an intoxicated man brandishing a 'six-shooter' on neighboring property," wrote Justice Joyce Kennard.

"At the sight of the two officers, the man (35-year-old Douglas Zerby) pointed at them an object resembling a gun. The officers immediately fired multiple rounds at Zerby, killing him. It turned out that the object Zerby was holding was a garden hose spray nozzle with a pistol grip."

Justice Kennard said releasing the names of the officers helps hold them accountable.

"The public's interest in the conduct of its peace officers is particularly great because such shootings often lead to severe injury or death," she wrote.

Kelli Sager, an attorney who represented the Los Angeles Times in the Zerby case, said the arguments about victim confidentiality will not stand in court. And the court has ruled that the police officers names are a matter of public record no matter when they pulled the trigger.

We appreciate and respect our police. They put their lives on the line to protect us. But when they are involved in a shooting, the public has a right to know what happened and who was involved.