A Vallejo police officer shot and wounded a person early Tuesday morning, ending the longest period of time the department had gone without shooting at a person in more than 20 years.
The officer shot and wounded a man around 4:01 a.m. during a reported burglary in the 1400 block of Springs Rd., according to a statement issued by police more than 11 hours after the shooting. The victim of the shooting was taken to a local hospital for a non-life threatening injury, according to police, and will be booked into Solano County Jail. Authorities allege that the officer was struck by the suspect’s vehicle, but did not provide details on the officer’s condition. The officer’s identity has not been disclosed by the Vallejo Police Department.
Spokespeople for Vallejo police and the city of Vallejo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Prior to the shooting, Vallejo police had not shot at a person since June 2020, when a detective with three prior shootings shot 22-year-old Sean Monterrosa in the back of the head with a rifle. The detective, Jarrett Tonn, told investigators that he mistook a hammer in Monterrosa’s sweatshirt for a gun. In December 2021, Tonn became the first Vallejo police officer in modern history to be fired for shooting a person.
Last June, Solano County Sheriff’s deputies fatally shot 28-year-old Jason Thompson in Vallejo following a foot chase. And in November, Fairfield police shot and wounded Patrick Hall following a vehicle pursuit that ended in Vallejo.
In 2020, Open Vallejo revealed a Vallejo Police Department tradition in which officers bend the tips of their badges to mark fatal shootings. Open Vallejo research shows that on average, Vallejo police shot someone once every four months between 2000 and Monterrosa’s killing in 2020.
Earlier this month, the California Department of Justice announced that it would seek a court-ordered settlement intended to reform Vallejo police. The announcement followed the conclusion of a three-year collaborative review, initiated by the state DOJ in 2020 over concerns regarding the “number and nature” of shootings by Vallejo officers.
Tuesday’s shooting is being investigated by the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, according to the city’s press release. (In 2020, Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams recused her office from the two most recent shootings by Vallejo police, citing a lack of trust “from some community members.”)
It remains unclear whether the state DOJ plans to investigate the Tuesday shooting.
