Badge-bending Archives - Open Vallejo

Vallejo City Council members sit at a curved dais with laptops and microphones during a public meeting, with an American flag and presentation screen in the background.

Misconduct inquiry stalls as Vallejo seeks new law firm

by Matthew Brown August 6, 2025August 7, 2025

A woman in a light purple blazer stands with her right hand raised and holds a microphone in her left as she takes an oath, while another woman in the foreground reads from a paper at a podium. The setting appears to be an official indoor ceremony or city government event.

Vallejo releases councilmembers’ votes on badge-bending appeal

by Matthew Brown August 1, 2025August 6, 2025

A uniformed police officer with visible arm tattoos sits behind a transparent barrier on a courtroom witness stand. The wood-paneled wall behind him features hanging green plants, and courtroom equipment is visible nearby.

How Open Vallejo exposed Vallejo police badge bending

by Geoffrey King July 28, 2025July 29, 2025

Vallejo City Council meeting in session, with council members seated at a long curved dais, facing an audience of community members in the council chamber. California and city flags are displayed behind the council.

Open Government

Vallejo asks state Supreme Court to suppress badge-bending report

by Matthew Brown July 28, 2025August 6, 2025

The Solano County Courthouse in Fairfield, California, stands under a clear sky with American and California state flags flying above its neoclassical facade, flanked by tall columns and a manicured lawn in the foreground.

ACLU, Open Vallejo win release of badge bending report

by Matthew Brown July 1, 2025July 2, 2025

Former Vallejo Police Capt. John Whitney stands in a black suit and tie near a shallow creek, flanked by reeds and ducks, with a concrete bridge arching in the background.

Vallejo police hid misconduct records from courts, former captain alleges

by Matthew Brown June 11, 2025June 12, 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, 2025July 1, 2025

A composite image titled "No Responsive Records," featuring grayscale portraits of five individuals who were killed in encounters with the Vallejo police. Each portrait captures distinct facial expressions, suggesting a personal story behind each individual. Below the images, the text reads, "How Vallejo Hid Killings by Police," highlighting investigative themes.

Open Vallejo wins journalism honor for exposing hidden killings by police

by Open Vallejo November 1, 2024November 1, 2024

A Vallejo police officer walks confidently toward the camera. In the background, emergency personnel and a stretcher are visible.

ACLU demands California strip badges from nine Vallejo officers

by Vanessa Arredondo October 16, 2024October 17, 2024

Photo of a white car’s windshield marked with multiple bullet trajectory rods and labels, indicating the paths of shots fired into the vehicle. The image, dated September 6, 2012, shows an investigator leaning toward the passenger side, examining the scene.

Vallejo releases some police shooting evidence previously thought destroyed

by Anna Bauman October 10, 2024October 10, 2024