Seeking justice a year after our brother’s death
One year ago, our brother Sean Monterrosa protested the killing of George Floyd. Like countless others he took to the streets to call for an end to police violence.
Hours later, he became the next victim.
While his knees were on the ground and his hands were in the air, Officer Jarrett Tonn of the Vallejo Police Department shot and killed him.
It has been 365 days since we’ve hugged our brother. Holidays and birthdays have become somber affairs, as we look at the empty chair that Sean should be occupying. Since our brother was killed, we have watched a new president take office, a new California attorney general be appointed and George Floyd’s murderer, Derek Chauvin, held accountable for his deadly actions.
Yet we are still fighting for justice for Sean.
It took 11 months of activism to get the California Department of Justice to investigate the killing of our brother. Together with Justice League CA, a statebased task force of The Gathering for Justice and Grassroots Law Project, we have marched, traveled and spoken out against police brutality, demanding answers and accountability.
Newly appointed California Attorney General Rob Bonta finally reopened Sean’s case, emphasizing that “without accountability, there is no justice.” With Bonta’s support, we finally have hope that Officer Tonn and the Vallejo Police Department will be brought to justice for their treatment of our brother.
But that can only happen if Bonta stays true to his word and honors our call for action and the pursuit of justice.
June 2, 2020 is forever etched into our family’s memory. Our unarmed brother was compliant with police demands. He still lost his life at the hands of an officer.
He was neither the suspect of a crime, nor was he wanted by police. Yet he was shot five times by Tonn, who was in the back seat of a moving, unmarked police vehicle.
Following Sean’s death, key evidence was destroyed in the case before investigators could order a ballistics report. This was allegedly done under the orders of Vallejo Police Department Lt. Michael Nichelini. After that, Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams recused herself from prosecuting the case, citing the “close working relationship” with the Vallejo Police Department. When the case reached former Attorney General Xavier Becerra’s desk, he declined to investigate Sean’s death. Nichelini was fired on April 2, 2021, as a result of separate internal affairs investigations into other corrupt acts, yet he remains the head of the Vallejo Police Officers’ Association.
Sean’s story is tragically not the only one of its kind locally. The Vallejo Police Department has the highest number of people shot by officers per capita in Northern California. In 2012, onethird of the homicides in Vallejo were actually police killings. Furthermore, Tonn, Sean’s killer, has been involved in four shootings since 2015.
Over the past year we have met with many other families of victims of police brutality and heard their stories of pain and loss. They, too, deserve justice for their loved ones. The Vallejo Police Department and police officers everywhere must be held accountable when they allow a culture of violence and corruption to fester.
Justice has not been served for Sean, but Bonta has the power to change that. We are counting on him to take action, to make sure that Sean’s death is not swept under the rug by a corrupt and violent police department.
This weekend, we will mark the anniversary of Sean’s death with joy and power, hosting two events in San Francisco. We are working to bring our community together and build solidarity to fight for systemic change. A block party will be held on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. in Bernal Heights and there will be a “Justice for Sean” rally Sunday at 1 p.m. at Civic Center Plaza.
For 365 days, our family has mourned the loss of our brother. Though we cannot bring him back, we believe holding Vallejo police accountable is the first step to peace and healing on our journey toward justice.