Protesters Demand Prosecutions, Not Murals, From Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams
FAIRFIELD (CBS SF) -- Protesters gathered outside the offices of Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams Monday, demanding she recuse herself from investigations of officer-involved shootings.
They say they are angered because charges are seldom filed against officers in the cases.
"Recently you expressed interest in commissioning a Black Lives Matter mural, but the community is not interested in pandering, we are interest in prosecution," the protesters, including family members of those killed in officer-involved shootings, said in a statement. "We are living in unprecedented times where your lack of accountability and biased decision-making are no longer going unnoticed...Unfortunately, your ongoing refusal to prosecute officers who kill unarmed men and attack innocent civilians has eroded the public trust and prevented the reform for the historically corrupt Vallejo Police Department."
The protesters were particularly angered by the shooting death of Sean Monterrosa during a night of violence and looting over the death of George Floyd, who died while police custody in Minneapolis.
In the days following Monterrosa's death, State Attorney General Xavier Becerra agreed with a request from Vallejo officials to review the police department's policies.
In Monterrosa's case, officers had responded to a report of a looting near a Walgreens just after midnight on June 2 and saw Monterrosa, a San Francisco resident, running from the building toward a vehicle.
Raw Video: Vallejo Police Chief Announces Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting
Monterrosa then kneeled to the ground with his arms above his waist while facing officers at the scene. One officer, Jarrett Tonn, believing the hammer sticking out of his pocket was the butt of a gun, fired at least five times at Monterrosa through the windshield of his squad car, hitting him once, according to Vallejo police.
Monterrosa later died at a hospital. Tonn has been placed on administrative leave while investigations by the Vallejo police and the Solano County District Attorney's Office are completed.
On Monday, Becerra's office said the Monterrosa shooting was not being investigated by state authorities and showed support for Abrams abilities.
"We have confidence in District Attorney Abrams' capabilities to fully and fairly complete the investigations before her," said the attorney general's office in a statement.
The statement further read:
"We recognize the important policy discussions concerning the future handling of officer involved shootings, and we intend to be a part of crafting a solution. Currently, the 58 District Attorneys in California are elected and funded through their counties to take on investigations and prosecutions of criminal matters, including officer involved shootings," a statement sent to KPIX 5 said. "Absent a conflict of interest, an abuse of discretion or other exceptional circumstances, the Department of Justice does not assume responsibility for local investigations or prosecutions typically handled by local authorities."
"DOJ does not receive the funding or staffing to enable us to conduct independent investigations or prosecutions of officer involved shooting incidents throughout the State."
"Insofar as the Vallejo shootings, DA Abrams did not provided DOJ with information indicating that her office was not capable of conducting a fair and thorough review of these incidents. DA Abrams previously stated that she is confident that she can conduct a fair and thorough review of an officer involved shooting."
"Her letter to DOJ requesting that DOJ assume the Vallejo investigations and prosecutions points to a lack of community trust in the process that she oversees. This is, of course, an issue of critical importance, and one that the Department of Justice hopes to help Vallejo address by engaging in our recently-announced comprehensive review and reform of the Vallejo Police Department. Attorney General Becerra also offered to DA Abrams that DOJ personnel could be of assistance in aspects of the subject investigations."