The 2020 killing of San Francisco native Sean Monterrosa by a Vallejo police officer remains a painful memory for Bay Area residents and a tragedy for Monterrosa's family. And now, after a review by the state attorney general, the criminal case against the officer is not moving forward.
The California Department of Justice made the announcement late Tuesday that Officer Jarrett Tonn will not face charges in the June 2, 2020 shooting that took the life of 22-year-old Sean Monterrosa. The shooting took place in front of a Walgreens in Vallejo on a night of widespread protest and looting in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, and Monterrosa was unarmed except for a hammer in his waistband.
A press release from DA Rob Bonta's office said Tuesday, "Based on the relevant legal standard, DOJ determined there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer did not act in self-defense or in defense of his partner officers."
As seen in body-camera footage of the incident, Officer Tonn shot Monterrosa almost immediately upon pulling up to the Walgreens, shooting five shots through the windshield of the police vehicle. Tonn has said he believed Monterrosa was reaching for a gun in his waistband, however the the sequence of events was so fast as to seem highly irresponsible and reckless.
There was a further outcry after it was discovered that the windshield of the vehicle had been destroyed and replaced before the investigation was complete.
A separate review of the windshield situation was also conducted by Bonta, seeking to find whether it amounted to obstruction and destruction of evidence.
"DOJ concluded that the officers involved in the decision to replace the windshield were unconnected to the shooting, and that the officers did not act with a criminal intent to suppress or destroy evidence when they had the windshield replaced and returned the vehicle to service," the release said.
As KTVU reports, Monterrosa's family issued a statement of disappointment Tuesday saying, "our fight does not end with his decision... And we will work with our legal team to explore options."
A federal civil rights suit against Tonn remains in process, and is due to begin trial in January 2025.
The Monterrosa family protested in September when Tonn, now promoted to detective, was reinstated at the Vallejo PD with full back pay and benefits. Tonn's reinstatement was part of an arbitration agreement with the department. Tonn had been officially fired from the department in October 2022, over two years after the shooting occurred.
The Vallejo PD has been under scrutiny in recent years for its allegedly toxic culture, and practices that have resulted in an unusually high number of officer-involved shooting deaths.
In the release, Bonta said that his office had recently negotiated a civil judgment against the Vallejo Police Department that will "institute crucially necessary reforms to their policies and practices," including barring shooting from a moving vehicle.
"Sean Monterrosa’s life mattered and there is nothing that can make up for his death," Bonta said in a statement. "His loss is and will continue to be felt by his family and the Bay Area community. It’s critical that these difficult incidents undergo a transparent, fair, and thorough review. My office remains committed to doing everything in our power to prevent these kinds of incidents from occurring and putting forward policy solutions to help ensure law enforcement are responsive to the needs of their communities."
Previously: Family of Man Killed By Vallejo Officer: 'They Executed Him'