A San Francisco man was shot and killed by a Vallejo police officer on Tuesday morning after the officer mistook a hammer in the man’s waistband for a gun.
The dead man was identified as 22-year-old Sean Monterrosa.
Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams talked about the killing at a press conference on Wednesday. He said that Monterrosa was suspected of trying to break into a local Walgreens and was shot between midnight and 1 a.m. on Tuesday. The chief added that the 22-year-old was on his knees when he was shot, and died several hours later.
At the conference, Williams did not name the officer who fired the shots, though he said that they had been with the force for 18 years. Williams also refused to answer the question when asked if he believed the shooting was an example of excessive force.
“The Solano District Attorney will make the ultimate finding if the force was legal,” Williams said.
The killing of Monterrosa, who Williams identified as Hispanic, comes as protesters across the country speak out against police brutality, particularly the killing of black Americans by law enforcement.
Monterrosa’s family has retained an attorney who has sued the city several times before over police killings. An attorney with that firm said the family is demanding the release of any body camera or surveillance footage from the shooting.
“If the city wants to be transparent, they need to release them now,” she said.
