Today marked the first public appearance of a man shot in the face by Vallejo police following what authorities say was a botched gas station burglary on June 27.
With stitches protruding from the entry wound below his nose, and a large bandage covering his throat, Jamazea Kittell managed a slight smile toward his loved ones as a sheriff’s deputy wheeled him into the courtroom. Kittell’s family had been unable to see him since the shooting, his mother, Tonisha Lofton, told Open Vallejo.
During the brief hearing, Judge John B. Ellis continued Kittell’s arraignment to July 25, assigning the case to Judge Robert Bowers in Vallejo. Kittell faces charges of attempted murder on a peace officer, commercial burglary, and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Open Vallejo first named Ofc. Brad Kim as the officer who shot Kittell near the scene of an alleged burglary in the early morning of June 27. Police allege that Kittell struck Kim with a stolen Dodge Charger, sending Kim onto the car’s hood, at which point the officer fired.
The shooting was the department’s first in over three years, representing the longest period between shootings in more than two decades, Open Vallejo research shows.
The city of Vallejo announced that it would disclose footage of the shooting Tuesday but delayed disclosure until after a town hall scheduled for Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. at 770 Tregaskis Ave. in Vallejo.
