4 days after fatal shooting, California Justice Department opens review of Vallejo police

The California Department of Justice announced a review of the Vallejo Police Department four days after one of its officers fatally shot an unarmed 22-year-old man.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra said on Friday that the reform initiative is not in direct response to Monday’s shooting, but rather aims to engage in a systemic review similar to those his department has recently conducted in Sacramento and San Francisco.

“This is a seminal moment for our country,” Becerra said at Friday’s press conference. “As we move forward, we have to listen when our communities speak up … especially [about] law enforcement.”

Vallejo residents in the past have decried the practices of the city’s police officers, who have shot and killed at least 21 people since 2005, KQED reported. One police officer — Sean Kenney — shot and killed three people within five months in 2012, according to the Mercury News. He retired last year.

This week, an officer shot Sean Monterrosa of San Francisco, who reportedly was on his knees outside of a drug store when he was killed.

“He wasn’t doing anything to warrant it. They shot him from inside their car. What opportunity did they give him to survive that situation? … It’s egregiously bad,” the family’s attorney, Melissa Nold, told The Guardian newspaper.

Becerra’s review — undertaken in agreement with city officials and with the consultation of outside experts — will look at use of force, anti-bias training, hiring practices, community policing and departmental transparency.

Becerra in 2018 conducted a similar review of the Sacramento Police Department at the request by city officials after officers shot and killed Stephon Clark. It resulted in a 96-page report that included recommendations for de-escaltion training and other policy changes.

This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 1:52 PM.