California Legal professional Basic Rob Bonta is launching an unbiased assessment into the deadly police taking pictures of Sean Monterrosa, a 22-year-old, unarmed Latino man, in Vallejo final yr.
Bonta stated Thursday in an announcement that his state’s Division of Justice would decide whether or not felony prices have been warranted in opposition to the officer.
“With out accountability, there is no such thing as a justice,” Bonta stated, including that it was “previous time Sean Monterrosa’s household, the neighborhood, and the folks of Vallejo get some solutions.”
Monterrosa was killed on June 2, 2020, after Vallejo police officers responded to experiences of looting on the night time of a Black Lives Matter protest. In accordance with the police report, the officers noticed a person — later recognized as Monterrosa — exterior a Walgreens who “seemed to be armed” and who ran towards a automotive, then turned to face officers and crouched. Monterrosa, it turned out, was not carrying a gun — he had a hammer in his sweatshirt pocket. A civil rights lawsuit by Monterrosa’s household says the 22-year-old was “unarmed, on his knees” with nothing in his arms when he was shot. Officer Jarrett Tonn fired 5 instances via the windshield of his automobile, killing Monterrosa, in line with the go well with.
Tonn and different officers current have been positioned on paid administrative go away on the time. Tonn is reportedly again on responsibility and has not been fired, arrested or charged.
Police didn’t instantly reply to HuffPost’s request for remark.
“We’re sick and uninterested in murderers being on the drive and nonetheless getting paid, but no convictions,” Sean’s sister Michelle Monterrosa stated at a rally final summer time.
In his announcement, Bonta condemned the “failure” of Solano County District Legal professional Krishna Abrams, who “unilaterally abdicated her accountability” by not conducting a assessment of the native police investigation of the incident.
Abrams accused Bonta of “taking part in politics.” She stated Bonta first advised her the state DOJ wouldn’t examine the Monterrosa killing, then introduced later that his workplace would.
Bonta’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Bonta, who was sworn in late final month, is the first Filipino American and solely the second Asian American to carry the workplace of legal professional basic of California.
Earlier this week, Bonta introduced a new racial justice bureau to research hate crimes and police misconduct.
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