Featured Archives - Open Vallejo

Grainy black-and-white surveillance image shows Darryl Mefferd, handcuffed and wearing a Chicago Bulls shirt, leaning forward in the backseat of a police vehicle. He appears distressed. A timestamp in the upper-left corner reads “2016-12-07 23:54:12.”

‘I can’t breathe’: video shows death Vallejo police concealed for years

by Anna Bauman May 14, 2025May 20, 2025

A police officer in a “POLICE” vest walks toward a van at a Marathon gas station at dusk; a lone sandal and small wet puddle lie illuminated on the asphalt in the foreground.

One person killed, five injured in Vallejo shootings

by Sarah Hopkins May 9, 2025May 9, 2025

Man with close-cropped dark hair and trimmed beard sits in a car, facing the camera in bright daylight.

Family demands answers in shooting death of Giordano Cerletti

by Sarah Hopkins and Geoffrey King April 29, 2025May 8, 2025

Two older men stand outside at sunset, one with glasses and a mustache, the other with a beard and wearing sunglasses. Bare tree branches cast shadows behind them as they face the camera in low, warm light.

Vallejo advocate charged over ‘offensive words,’ raising constitutional concerns

by Matthew Brown April 13, 2025April 13, 2025

A man in a white polo shirt and khaki pants stands outdoors beside a weathered building with red wooden shingles and broken windows. Tall dry grass surrounds him as he looks thoughtfully off to the side.

Mathew Mustard, of ‘American Nightmare’ infamy, retires from Vallejo

by Matthew Brown April 1, 2025April 1, 2025

A man sits quietly in a courtroom, appearing reflective and looking upward, with a partially visible uniformed officer standing behind him. The setting is somber with dim lighting, suggesting a judicial proceeding.

Defendant linked to ‘Zizians’ pleads not guilty to capital murder

by Sarah Hopkins March 26, 2025March 26, 2025

How a California math genius spiraled into Zizian ideology and violence

by Anna Bauman March 12, 2025March 14, 2025

A muddy lot with a large yellow City of Vallejo backhoe parked in the center. In the foreground, a small, weathered American flag stands among scattered belongings including plastic bags, a suitcase, and wooden debris.

New details emerge in killing of unhoused man in Vallejo

by Matthew Brown March 11, 2025March 11, 2025

A woman with long, curly hair stands at a podium, speaking to a panel of six individuals seated behind a black-clothed table. Large monitors behind them display a digital timer (“0:45”) against green and yellow background graphics. The panelists, each with a name card in front of them, listen attentively.

Vallejo rejects police union bid to weaken oversight

by Matthew Brown March 6, 2025March 6, 2025

A group of people, including several uniformed police officers, sit around a table in a large, well-lit meeting room. A flipchart with handwritten notes stands behind them, and other participants are gathered at tables in the background. One individual wears a colorful patterned headwrap, while another person in a knit sweater faces the group. A few officers stand nearby, observing or listening to the discussion.

Vallejo police commissioner resigns, questioning city’s commitment to reforms

by Anna Bauman and Matthew Brown March 3, 2025March 4, 2025