Kuanchung Kao (1963 or 1964 – April 29, 1997 (aged 33); Chinese: 高寬重; pinyin: Gāo Kuānzhòng) was a Taiwanese-born microbiologist working as a quality control engineer.

[5] Neighbors called 911 to report a drunken disturbance at 2:11 a.m. Kao retrieved a 6 foot (1.8 m) wooden stick comparable to a closet rod from a motorhome parked in his driveway at around this time.

[7] Lynch and Shields were in uniform and arrived in marked patrol cars with their sirens on[4] but an eyewitness later stated neither of them identified themselves as police officers.

Ayling Wu, a trained medical professional, said she could see her husband breathing and tried to administer aid but was physically restrained by the officers and threatened with arrest.

[2][5] The California Attorney General's office investigated whether the decision not to prosecute was an abuse of discretion, concluding in a March 24, 1998 letter from Dan Lungren that deadly force was justified.

[10] On August 5, 1997, the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety ruled Officer Shields acted in accordance with departmental policies and procedures for the use of deadly force.

[11] The United States Attorney in San Francisco requested an FBI investigation of the shooting shortly after it occurred,[8] on the suspicion that Kao's civil rights had been violated through the use of excessive force, which potentially could have led to a life sentence.

[13] On January 28, 1998, US Attorney Michael Yamaguchi declined to file criminal charges against Officer Shields, citing insufficient evidence that Kuanchung Kao's civil rights were violated.

Activist pressure along with a growing trend of fatal police shootings in Sonoma County culminated in a United States Commission on Civil Rights investigation, which held a public hearing on February 20, 1998.

Wu received temporary support with childcare from the family nanny, who assisted with the moving transition to Orange County for several months.

Following the departure of the family nanny after the move south, Wu fell into a period of extreme depression and experienced suicidal thoughts, while struggling to make ends meet while also attempting to raise the children on her own.

Wu's condition gradually improved over the years and led a moderately successful career as a Director of Nursing in medical rehabilitation facilities.