200 say final farewell to man shot, killed by Vallejo officer
About 200 people on Friday paid their final respects to 22yearold Sean Monterrosa, the San Francisco man who was fatally shot by a Vallejo police officer earlier this month during a night of protests and riots over police brutality.
Family and friends filed out of the Pacifica Chapel by the Sea funeral home just after 1 p.m., many dressed in white or wearing “Long Live Tucan” Tshirts, an homage to Monterrosa’s nickname.
John Burris, an attorney for the family who attended the funeral, said he intends to file a civil suit against the city of Vallejo after reports that Monterrosa dropped to his knees just before an officer fired five shots through his own windshield. The officer was responding to a call of looting at a Walgreens and opened fire after mistaking a hammer in Monterrosa’s pocket for the butt of a gun, police said.
Before filing the lawsuit, though, Burris said he would demand the officer be criminally charged by Solano County prosecutors.
“Unless I hear information to the contrary, I think the district attorney’s office should be prosecuting this
officer, or the state now that the attorney general has come in,” Burris said. “I demand that prosecution take place, if the evidence clearly demonstrates that he was on his knees, trying to surrender, and he was shot at multiple times from officers who were in position of safety.”
Monterrosa was fatally struck by a single bullet to the center of his neck, Burris said.
Officers were responding to reports of a breakin at the Walgreens at Broadway and Redwood on June 2 at around 12:30 a.m. when they encountered Monterrosa outside the store, police said. The shooting happened during a night of unrest sparked by the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd on May 25. Monterrosa’s family said they believe the young man was surrendering when he was killed.
As the latest victim of police violence, Monterrosa’s death has now triggered its own demonstrations. Hundreds gathered in the Mission
District on June 5 and knelt in his honor.
Vallejo police and city officials have declined to name the officer who fired the fatal shot, but several people familiar with the case identified the officer as Jarrett Tonn. He joined the Vallejo Police Department in 2014 after working several years with the Galt police in Sacramento County.
Tonn has been involved in three nonfatal shootings, according to sources familiar with the case and public records.
Monterrosa’s supporters are calling for the immediate release of the officer’s body camera footage. Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams has vowed transparency in the case, but he did not disclose Monterrosa’s death for more than 24 hours and the city still hasn’t released the body camera footage. By law the footage must be released within 45 days of the incident.
Days after Monterrosa’s death, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced his office had entered into a “review and reform agreement” with the city of Vallejo and its Police Department. The review will include an investigation of useofforce procedures, antibias community policing and officer accountability, Becerra said.