№00199

Sean Monterrosa

Sean Monterrosa, 22, was shot and killed by police officer in Vallejo, California.

In June 2020 police were responding to a report of a possible looting. At the scene police officers found two vehicles which started moving as soon as police arrived. After a chase one of the cars stopped. A man, who was later identified as Monterrosa, got out of the car. Vallejo police Detective Jarrett Tonn shot five rounds from the backseat, through the windshield of his unmarked pickup, while Monterrosa was on his knees and had his hands above his waist.

The police department released a report stating that the officer shot Monterrosa because he mistook a hammer in his pocket for a gun. Monterrosa died at a hospital from his injuries. The windshield, considered key evidence, was destroyed. City officials launched a criminal investigation into the destruction of this evidence.

In May 2021, the California Attorney General said his office would conduct its own investigation into the shooting. In December 2021, the actions of the officer who shot Monterrosa were found to be unjustified. In February 2022 District Attorney said she refused to investigate the fatal shooting of Sean Monterrosa.

СМИ

MASS MEDIA ABOUT THE CASE:

“Given your tactical training and experience,” police Chief Shawny Williams wrote in a termination letter, “you knew or should have known that you needed to carefully assess and plan to handle perceived threats…..If you believed that anyone in the parking lot was armed, you should have insisted on careful planning, including deescalation. You failed to do so, and in the midst of the confusion and chaos that you helped cause, exercised very poor judgement.”
KTVU

Tonn’s decision to shoot his firearm through the windshield “was not objectively reasonable,” according to the outside administrative investigator Michael Gennaco of OIR Group.
KTVU

FILES

CASE STATUS:

The initiative group has requested the clarification from US President Joseph Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland. The initiative group believes it is important to fight against police brutality and, if necessary, will provide legal and financial assistance to the family of the victim.