Drew Ramsay, who noticed that the badge had two bent tips. In 2020, former Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams fired McMahon for unsafe conduct and neglect for basic firearm safety that endangered fellow officers in connection with the shooting. To uncover how the evidence came to be destroyed by a department already under investigation by the state attorney general over the number and nature of its police shootings, Open Vallejo amended its public records lawsuit, deposed multiple city employees, and prompted the release of hundreds of pages of logs, reports, and internal communications. Some autopsy and crime scene photographs had been stored on computers, but more than 280 other pieces of evidence were destroyed, including from highly controversial cases. VALLEJO, Calif. (KGO) -- A former Vallejo police officer who was involved in two fatal shootings and fired for unsafe conduct has been hired by the Broadmoor Police Rocio Bedolla said intruders caused thousands of dollars of damage to her store, just to take about $50 from her family-run business. "It's a direct slap in the face," said Kori McCoy, Willie McCoy's brother. Although no firearm was found, Kenney claimed that he retrieved a pellet gun near the floor behind Romeros seat following the shooting. Over the next several days, Encarnacion would empty box after box of evidence of police shootings into a large city dumpster. Lawyers for Open Vallejo alerted the state attorney general to the destruction of evidence, and have asked Judge Gizzi to consider a criminal referral for the destruction of public records, a rare occurrence. Kenney, who fired 24 rounds and hit Romero at least 23 times, jumped on the hood of the young mans car during the incident, records show. The city of Vallejo is opening an investigation into its city attorney's office destroying records in several police killings. By then McCarthy had been involved in three shootings as a Vallejo police officer. It is unclear whether authorities criminally investigated the destruction of the drone evidence. Whitney had been using his cell phone for both his duties for the city and as a personal device, and testified that Bidou had told him to delete his text messages and emails because they were stored on a city server. During that time, videos of Vallejo police had been released to the media, including the shooting of McCoy. The most important news and best events in Solano County. The 2012 killing of 23-year-old Romero, the father whose death led to enduring protests, remains one of Vallejos most costly and highly contested police shootings. During that month, Vallejo High employee and assistant football coach Joe Pastrana was breaking up a fight on Nebraska Street when he was shot in the upper hip by a suspect in a black four-door Audi. They gave us the direction, Brown said, that the records would need to be held.. Around 7:10 a.m., police Records the city previously retained for at least 25 years, in line with a state recommendation, would now be kept for five years following closure of the case, according to city documents. She declined to comment. December 9, 2022 The city appointed former Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano to conduct the investigation. North Richmond rapper Bla$ta was playing his own music as he allegedly escaped police in 120 mph chase, authorities say Whitney said that he had known Sampayan from when he was a sergeant in the police department and that he was visibly upset. One suspect was described as a juvenile armed with a handgun. Skip to main content LinkedIn. They shouldnt be deleting anything right now at all.. This senseless and brazen daytime shooting near the school is unacceptable. They said on Monday night, Fairfield police officers were flagged down on Pennsylvania and Missouri streets for a shooting. He is a proud native of Vallejo, California. The Jewish News of Northern California and as an on-call interactive producer for KQED. Norawong, 44, was leaving the restaurant Jenkins was arrested and taken to jail, but the Solano County District Attorneys office didnt charge her with a crime. The Vallejo Police Department Detective Division is investigating the motive and circumstances of the shooting. VALLEJO, Calif. ( KRON) Vallejo police are investigating a Thursday morning homicide, according to a press release. I try my best to be that reminder that there should be nothing that gets erased.. In 2019, Vallejo claimed it did not possess audiovisual records of the shooting, but later disclosed body camera footage. Ryan McMahon was one of six Vallejo police officers who shot Willie McCoy more than 50 times in a Taco Bell drive-thru in February 2019, killing him. VALLEJO, Calif. (KTXL) The Vallejo Police Department is investigating a shooting that left at least three people injured. The practice continued to spread until after the 2019 police killing of Willie McCoy, when six police officers fired 55 times at McCoy after they found him unresponsive in his car in a Taco Bell drive thru. But in an interview five days before the city filed that motion, Brown said that a lawyer for the city told her and others not to destroy police records during a meeting about the DOJ agreement. The chief looked at Horton and said, Take care of this, Whitney testified. She said a lot of these civil rights cases shouldn't be happening, and implored me to help fix the police department.. Prior to the McCoy shooting, McMahon shot and killed Ronell Foster in 2018. Kenney and Joseph did not respond to requests for comment. The individual died after being treated at a nearby hospital. Mustard additionally coordinated the booking, and at times collection, of some of the evidence that was subsequently destroyed, public records show. McCarthy and Officer Jason Bauer shot and killed 53-year-old Peter Mestler on May 24, 2012, after he allegedly pulled out a BB gun when the officers confronted him. 2023 FOX Television Stations, until WED 9:00 AM PST, Mendocino County Coast, until WED 4:00 AM PST, Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest, from WED 2:00 AM PST until WED 8:00 AM PST, Carquinez Strait and Delta, from THU 2:00 AM PST until THU 8:00 AM PST, Carquinez Strait and Delta, from WED 1:00 AM PST until WED 8:00 AM PST, North Bay interior valleys, East Bay Interior Valleys, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest, High Stakes: Sports Betting in California. Early morning shooting in Vallejo turns deadly, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window). Knight also told Mustard that an outdated litigation hold prevented the destruction of the Romero case file. (R). Officers said they found a victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound. The incident stemmed from a carjacking in Vallejo on Feb. 22. City records show that Whitney was fired for allegedly destroying data on his city-issued cell phone during an investigation. A separate administrative investigation recommended one officer for discipline, but a subsequent hearing found he should receive corrective action instead, public records show. The purge was also unlikely to have been triggered by a lack of space, as police shootings represent only a small fraction of the files maintained by the police department, she testified. Authorization to purge would have required additional steps which were not taken, Nebb said. The school will have increased security, with the added presence of Vallejo Police Department personnel. However, we sent a message to our District families (Tuesday) night and are having one-on-one conversations with parents and children who have questions or concerns about yesterdays events.. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? Despite public outcry, the city has not made Giordanos report public. Its expensive to produce the kind of high-quality journalism we do at the Vallejo Sun. Scott Morris is a journalist based in Oakland who covers policing, protest, civil rights and far-right extremism. Jason Potts took it to the office of then-Police Chief Shawny Williams. Based on the timeline Dailey provided in her deposition, it appears that Vallejo destroyed hundreds, if not thousands, of additional pieces of evidence between the change in its retention schedule and when the police transparency law took effect 21 days later. CBS News Bay Area: School officials tell us their students' safety remains their top priority. Vallejo Mayor Robert McConnell, who as a councilmember voted in 2018 to change the retention schedule, called the destruction of records unfortunate in an interview Saturday. The San Francisco Chronicle reported the stop in May 2019. A Vallejo family had an unexpected guest arrive at their San Francisco 49ers watch party. VALLEJO, Calif. (KGO) -- An investigation is underway after a Vallejo High School coach was shot and injured while trying to break up a fight right outside of the Dailey, the senior police assistant in the evidence section, testified that she was unaware of any notice to refrain from destroying records because of the citys agreement with the DOJ. Within two hours, about ten officers turned in their badges, Whitney said. He never made it home. Now, Open Vallejo has asked the Solano County judge overseeing the lawsuit, Stephen Gizzi, to order that Vallejo implement measures to prevent improper purges, and to consider referring the matter for criminal prosecution. An independent special prosecutor hired by Solano County determined the officers felt their lives were threatened and acted in self-defense. Knight and a spokesperson for the City of Vallejo did not respond to requests for comment. McConnell appeared willing to revisit the question of how long Vallejo retains records of police shootings. Kevin Rose hours later, Rose found some problem with the SD card that prevented him from viewing the files; a subsequent examination by the U.S. Secret Service revealed that the footage had been overwritten with zeros. Im learning of that right now, Dailey said at her deposition. Their new baby girl was delivered during the final Niners' win of the season against the Dallas Cowboys. Weeks before that deadline, between January 11 and 20, the records in five of the shootings were destroyed. Once there, police said officers found a 31-year-old from Vallejo and a 27-year-old from Albany with at least one gunshot wound each. Abrams' office said the investigation of this case remains ongoing. No city employee has been disciplined for the purge, according to Browns May 5 testimony. Former Capt. In April 2019, Whitney was acting chief of police while Bidou was out of the state. Community violence isnt just a VCUSD issue. VALLEJO, Calif. (KGO) -- A former Vallejo police officer who was involved in two fatal shootings and fired for unsafe conduct has been hired by the Broadmoor Police Department near Daly City. D.A. Prior to handing it over, Whitney told Iacono he needed to call his wife to tell her not to call or text him, but then erased the phones contents by resetting it to factory settings. Bidou left Vallejo police in June 2019. Open Vallejo also sought the subpoenas in the course of its litigation with the city, but received no response. A generous gift in any amount helps us continue to bring you this service. In the interview Friday, City Attorney Nebb said that Knights email was not an official approval because the policy requiring written signatures had not been obtained. In court papers, the city stated that the subpoenas did not seek the records that were purged. Heres everything you need to know about The Grinch sequel, plus the best books your kid can check out now. Vallejo police have released footage of the killing of Willie McCoy at a Taco Bell, showing six officers shooting the 20-year-old who was sleeping in his car. It was the second deadly shooting in two days in the East Bay city. Six weeks after Monterrosas killing, the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training began, at the request of Potts and Williams, a study of Vallejo polices evidence and property unit. Ramsay said that Officer Zachary Jacobsen, who shot and killed Angel Ramos in 2017, had bent McMahon's badge, Whitney testified. The purged items include firearm evidence, interviews with witnesses and shooting officers, clothing from the victims, fingerprints, lab photographs, and detectives case files, according to property lists obtained by Open Vallejo. In court documents, Knight did not explain how the destruction could have been inadvertent when it was initiated, approved and carried out with the knowledge of senior Vallejo officials, including herself. An investigation into one of those officers finally led to the department taking action to stop badge bending, but the department still conducted no investigation into its extent. However, evidence logs and internal records obtained by this newsroom indicate that Vallejo has gotten rid of evidence in at least two dozen other shootings since 2000. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Detective Brian Murphy (707) 648-5430 or Detective Jordon Patzer (707) 648-4278. Another reason to safeguard the files, Brown said, was the citys reform agreement with the California DOJ. Knight, the lead attorney defending Vallejo in the public records lawsuit, later disputed the words of the citys witness. Jenkins sued the department later that year. Krishna Abrams' office offered additional background details saying this case was of significant public interest. In the meantime, Sullivan and McCoy worry about McMahon being back on the streets. It's a story by the ABC7 News I-Team you'll see Only On 7. state, and local issue that our lawmakers and citizens must address together. Whitney testified that he was investigated for leaking information to a reporter. Police in Vallejo are investigating after a man was found fatally shot in a vehicle late Wednesday afternoon, in the city's seventh homicide of the year. A Vallejo restaurant held 'Breakfast for Bob' to honor the man who died stepping in to help one of their servers from a robbery. A woman found dead in a marsh in Vallejo last month has been identified. WebTimes-Herald: Local News, Local Sports and more for Vallejo Aside from the photographs stored on computers, Vallejo does not have a backup of the destroyed audiovisual records, Brown testified. In a wrongful termination lawsuit filed in 2020 by former Vallejo PD Captain John Whitney, Whitney alleged Vallejo Police Department firearms instructors alerted him in February of 2019 that McMahon had embedded the words "Veritas Aequitas" on his firearm endplate. He tried to retire months earlier and be hired on an interim basis to help the department look for a new chief, but state law prevented him from double-dipping into state coffers. Such overlap between investigative and evidence functions can create a potential conflict of interest, according to guidelines the state agency published in 2022. Browns understanding is insufficiently nuanced, Knight argued in a motion filed on Aug. 30. We will utilize all of our available resources to investigate this matter and assist the school in providing a safer environment. Obtained by Open Vallejo through a California Public Records Act request, Were in a collaborative agreement with DOJ, she said at a May 5 deposition. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. We all know he shouldn't have something like that there's no keeping track of shootings and having it on your uniform.. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. VALLEJO Top Vallejo police officials including former police Chief Andrew Bidou were alerted that officers were bending their badges to mark shootings in late 2014 or early 2015, but the practice continued for years after that with no discipline, according to a deposition from a former police captain. Suspect posing with AR assault rifle and hand gun. They do not believe she was the intended target. About that stop, Whitney testified that Jenkins verbally protesting being pulled over made the officers angry enough to put her on her stomach and shoot her in the back with a Taser when she was not physically resisting arrest or resisting their commands.. A suspect was arrested in the Tuesday shooting of a 15-year-old girl near Vallejo High School, authorities said. Whitney was looking for a job with another agency, but before he could leave he was fired. Whitneys testimony indicates that Bidou was made aware of badge bending four years before previously known, but took no action during his term as chief. The six cases were not destroyed because they were the oldest on file; the city still possessed evidence from earlier police shootings, according to Daileys deposition. CBS News The attack happened in the 600 block of Third Street. Two firearms were located at the scene of the crash, including an AR 15, loaded assault rifle, and a loaded Glock-style pistol ghost gun. Officials said the robbery victim's stolen necklace was also located at the scene of the crash. ), California DOJ officials would not confirm whether they sought the specific records that the city discarded; the agency denied a public records request by Open Vallejo for the other two subpoenas and other documents, citing a legal exemption for records relating to an investigation into potential violations of law.. How safe is your neighborhood? It shouldn't be something that's memorialized. The study found that Vallejo needed better accountability measures so we can easily perform purging, audits and inventories, according to a September 2020 email Potts sent to the departments top leadership. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Tracking the drought: Map shows conditions across SF Bay Area, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, Vallejo police release body cam video of controversial shooting at Taco Bell, former Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams fired McMahon, Vallejo police chief abruptly resigns months after police union's vote of no confidence, Solano County District Attorney did not file criminal charges against McMahon, wrongful termination lawsuit filed in 2020 by former Vallejo PD Captain John Whitney, Bay Area DA explains why she refused to probe fatal police shootings, Former Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams. Ryan McMahon was one of six Vallejo cops who shot Willie McCoy more than 50 times in a Taco Bell drive-thru in 2019, killing him. In his deposition, Whitney admitted the allegation but said he didnt think he did anything wrong. Related Articles Six months later, the California Supreme Court ruled such fees illegal. Whitney testified that prior to McCarthys promotion in 2014 or 2015, he offered to get McCarthys badge repaired as he would receive a temporary corporal badge. Open Vallejo has sought Vallejo police records, including many of the now-destroyed files, repeatedly since 2019. In a subsequent deposition on Dec. 21, Senior Vallejo Police Assistant Stephanie Dailey, the civilian employee who manages the evidence section, said she was unaware of that policy until the week of her testimony. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Detective Division at (707) 648-4524. Officers bent the tips of their star-shaped badges following their involvement in a shooting for more than a decade. One judge who read parts of the report says it has no value and Giordanos investigation was "not designed to bring some light" into badge bending. Vallejo officers Sean Kenney and Dustin Joseph shot Romero 30 times. An investigation is underway after a Vallejo High School staff member was shot, injured while trying to break up a fight right outside of the school. Taylor and a boy in that vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene. Ridgeway survived. Vallejo City Unified School District Public Information Officer Celina Baguiao said there wasnt a discussion about possibly canceling school on Wednesday, but that added security was felt on campus. Designated by officials as the person most qualified to answer questions about the citys public records practices, Joni Brown testified at the May 5 deposition that multiple safeguards should have prevented police personnel from destroying the evidence.
