The alleged killer of Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell is handyman Carlos Medina Vallejo, 61. Rocio Bedolla said intruders caused thousands of dollars of damage to her store, just to take about $50 from her family-run business. FAIRFIELD, Calif. - Solano County District Attorney's Office on Tuesday gave an update to a high-speed car crash and police chase where three people were killed last week. Whitney testified that he refused to give them back to the officers because theyd be getting rid of the evidence of the badge bending practice. ", Broadmoor police also thanked the I-Team for, "providing us the opportunity to explain our extraordinarily thorough hiring practices.". One suspect was described as a juvenile armed with a handgun. For example, Vallejo initially claimed, in September 2019, that it did not possess audiovisual files for older incidents, including the 2017 killing of Angel Ramos. Hey, he's got a badge with bends on it, he says it represents the shootings, Whitney testified he said. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! A Vallejo police spokesperson said Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? He said it would create more liability for the failure to supervise, and he just wanted that left alone because only a few people knew about it.. Steve Darden shot and killed 29-year-old Ever Ramon Martinez after they ended a vehicle pursuit by pinning Martinezs car between two patrol cars. A 15-year-old walking nearby was struck with what appeared to be a stray round, although a police news release says that the police do not believe she was the intended victim. She suffered a serious but non-life-threatening injury and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. ), 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.. 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. 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 state, and local issue that our lawmakers and citizens must address together. The other subpoenas have not been made public. Sgt. Their new baby girl was delivered during the final Niners' win of the season against the Dallas Cowboys. AR 15 assault rifle and Glock style pistol. He said that he and Quintana worked on a press release regarding the Jenkins stop for several hours that day. A football coach at Vallejo High School in the San Francisco Bay Area was shot Tuesday afternoon after breaking up a fight, California authorities say. The purge violated a city policy that requires written approval from the city attorney and clerks offices, according to Brown, who testified that the proper form and signatures were never obtained. The release says a 17-year-old from Richmond agreed to meet J.D. Whitney testified that Sgt. The city also agreed to produce some audio and video records it previously claimed did not exist for a price. The Vallejo city attorneys office has long resisted public scrutiny of the police departments frequent shootings. The lawsuit is ongoing, but in a September hearing, Judge Gizzi indicated that the remedies in the case might hinge on whether the records were destroyed intentionally. But Knight did not mention that she authorized Vallejo police staff to proceed with the destruction. Whitney didnt recall the exact date of that interaction, but Bidou joined the department in October 2014, according to city employment records, and McCarthy ordered a new corporal badge in February 2016, according to records from the departments badge manufacturer. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Detective Division at (707) 648-4524. Despite the warning flags raised by POST, Vallejos evidence problems persist. 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. Geoffrey King is the executive editor of Open Vallejo. In response to a public records request filed by Open Vallejo, the California Department of Justice said that it possessed no records relating to the shootings. Been working at the Times-Herald full time since early 2011, was a stringer from 2001-2004 while in college at San Francisco State where I studied Journalism. Tribble said that he told Officers Matthew Komoda, David McLaughlin and Sgt. A French bulldog that was stolen from its owners arms is safely back at home in Richmond. VIDEO: Vallejo police release body cam video of controversial shooting at Taco Bell. Brown testified that she asked for a team to help process public records requests. Crime and Public Safety | The other suspect was described as possibly being a juvenile, armed with a rifle. Ryan McMahon, a former Vallejo cop involved in two fatal shootings and fired for unsafe conduct, has been hired by the Broadmoor Police Department. They said on Monday night, Fairfield police officers were flagged down on Pennsylvania and Missouri streets for a shooting. A Vallejo restaurant held 'Breakfast for Bob' to honor the man who died stepping in to help one of their servers from a robbery. Pastrana has since been released from a hospital and is in stable condition at home with his family while he begins rehab. 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. Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to contact the Vallejo Police Department Detective Division at 707-648-4524. The shooting did not occur on campus but nearby. Dailey testified that in her experience, the city had never destroyed evidence in a police shooting before that day. Assistant City Attorney Knight stated in court filings that the destruction happened inadvertently and that the evidence should have been retained due to Open Vallejos pending public records requests. They do not believe she was the intended target. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Detective Brian Murphy (707) 648-5430 or Detective Jordon Patzer (707) 648-4278. The Solano County District Attorney did not file criminal charges against McMahon, finding that it was reasonable for him to defend himself and noting that Foster assaulted McMahon with his flashlight while resisting arrest. The Vallejo Police Department previously told the I-Team the hold up was with the city attorney's office. A separate administrative investigation recommended one officer for discipline, but a subsequent hearing found he should receive corrective action instead, public records show. Two range instructors noticed he added a plate to his gun with the words Veritas and Aequitas," meaning truth and justice, a reference to the 1999 film Boondock Saints where two brothers engage in vigilante justice. On Dec. 11, 2018, the Vallejo City Council changed the retention schedule through its consent calendar, a process generally reserved for non-controversial issues which allows city councils to pass multiple items at once. City records show that Whitney was fired for allegedly destroying data on his city-issued cell phone during an investigation. During an executive staff meeting in spring of 2019, Bidou told Whitney to instruct all the department supervisors to have anyone under their command who had bent badges to turn them in. Jenkins sued the department later that year. California Highway Patrol spotted the stolen vehicle headed eastbound on Interstate 80. CBS News Bay Area: 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. 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. Aside from the photographs stored on computers, Vallejo does not have a backup of the destroyed audiovisual records, Brown testified. Solano County District Attorney's Office gave an update Tuesday on a fatal crash and police chase that killed an 18-year-old and two minors who were in a stolen car. In July 2020, the city announced that officers had disposed of the windshield through which Det. North Richmond rapper Bla$ta was playing his own music as he allegedly escaped police in 120 mph chase, authorities say (R). 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. Open Vallejo has sought Vallejo police records, including many of the now-destroyed files, repeatedly since 2019. Joshua Coleman shot him in the groin after he likely mistook a can of beer for a firearm. It is unclear whether authorities criminally investigated the destruction of the drone evidence. It's a story by the ABC7 News I-Team you'll see Only On 7. In the meantime, Sullivan and McCoy worry about McMahon being back on the streets. In late 2016, Tribble was promoted to lieutenant. Mustard and former software developer Det. Leon Arreguin was allegedly firing at a passing car but hit the girl instead. 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. The motion filed last month by Open Vallejo seeks an order prohibiting the city from destroying additional records until it produces public records that are still being withheld. Just days into her transfer to the evidence unit two years ago, Vallejo police assistant Tina Encarnacion made her way to a tall metal cabinet known as the homicide bookshelf, and pulled case 12-11085. Friends of the victim have identified him to ABC7 News as Joseph Pastrana, a local athletic coach they say is beloved in the Vallejo community. A bystander recorded the events on a cell phone. Norawong, 44, was leaving the restaurant 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 sixth case was also purged, although details surrounding its destruction remain unclear. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. It shouldn't be something that's memorialized. Police have yet to find a suspect in that incident as well. has new details on fatal crash in stolen car that killed minors following CHP chase, Vallejo opens investigation into destruction of records in police killings, 3 dead, including minor, following Vallejo carjacking, police chase: CHP, Suspect arrested in Vallejo for allegedly shining laser at CHP helicopter, The Vallejo engineering firm that saved lives in Turkey quake, Thieves causes thousands in damage to family-run Vallejo deli just to steal $50, Burglars cause thousands of dollars in damage to business, only to get away with $50, Suspect arrested in shooting of 15-year-old girl near Vallejo high school, police say, Homicide victim found in Vallejo marsh was Richmond woman, 15-year-old girl injured in Vallejo shooting near high school, police say, Die-hard 49ers fans deliver baby at home during Niners' final season win, Stolen French bulldog returned to Richmond owner, 'High-risk' sex offender and Vallejo man arrested in Fairfield for attempted kidnapping, Son of KTVU employee reported missing from Vallejo, Man accidentally shoots himself with ghost gun: Vallejo police, Man arrested for spray-painting threatening messages toward President Biden, Obama, Breakfast for Bob: Honoring hero who died saving Vallejo waitress, Vallejo couple ending community holiday lights display honoring daughter after 23 years, Marine veteran shot dead hailed as hero for defending Vallejo restaurant server from robber, Arrest in killing of elderly woman in Vallejo ends fears surrounding her death, Blizzard conditions force highway closures in the Sierra Nevada, Tree falls into home, severs gas line in the North Bay, Family's rental SUV burglarized while in Bay Area for memorial, Eviction ban debate: Alameda County discusses future of moratorium, Biden: Putin made 'big mistake' by suspending US arms treaty, Watch: Rescuers save small dog trapped in rubble following earthquake in Turkey, South Carolina woman killed in Kroger parking lot spit at suspect prior to shooting: police, Son arrested in Santa Rosa after mother assaulted with hammer, Georgia woman who lost toe after pedicure says she's now 'a walking PSA': What you need to know now. Authorization to purge would have required additional steps which were not taken, Nebb said. WebA 19-year-old man has been arrested for the brutal killing of a 78-year-old woman in Vallejo last year, police announced Thursday after a year-long investigation. 's office said. Vallejo officers Sean Kenney and Dustin Joseph shot Romero 30 times. But that was not always the case: Vallejo changed its retention policy just three weeks before a landmark police transparency law, Senate Bill 1421, made those and other police records public. OAKLAND, Calif. Phil Norawong went out to dinner with two friends in Oaklands Chinatown. We depend on your support. Unfortunately, we now live in a society where gun violence is common, Baguiao said This is a national, Following the ruling, Vallejo began disclosing some audiovisual records. CBS News 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 Mathew Mustard emailed Knight about five of the now-destroyed cases, which he said were located while doing research on police shootings. Within two hours, about ten officers turned in their badges, Whitney said. 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. Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams previously told I-Team reporter Melanie Woodrow her office would not investigate allegations of badge bending. The same is true for nonfatal shootings. An independent special prosecutor hired by Solano County determined the officers felt their lives were threatened and acted in self-defense. 2023The Vallejo Sun - All rights reserved. After he met with Quinana, Whitney testified that Sampayan called him into his office. 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. Drew Ramsay, who noticed that the badge had two bent tips. Mustard supervised both the Monterrosa and McCoy investigations. 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. 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. Brown has since left Vallejo to join the Napa Police Department. Mustard additionally coordinated the booking, and at times collection, of some of the evidence that was subsequently destroyed, public records show. They were significant enough to where I could see them, and the badge was curled in There was more than one, at least two or three that I can recall.. ", McCoy added, "We understand the blue wall is going to protect their own, they're going to rehire their own.". "The fact that he was here, potentially he saved a child's life," Williams said. 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. The suspects stole his necklace. 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. If its determined that the city of Vallejo said, Oh gosh, we better get rid of these records, the judge said, you will not convince this court that it was the legislatures intent that that should be an out afforded to public agencies.. Bidou said he would open an investigation, but Whitney testified that he didnt know whether an investigation was ever opened or what the outcome was. The San Francisco Chronicle reported the stop in May 2019. The background investigation is only one of many steps in the hiring process to ensure that we hire only those candidates we feel are well-suited to serve our community. Frequent shootings data on his city-issued cell phone of damage to her store, just take! Transported to a nearby hospital for treatment purge would have required additional steps were! Asked for a firearm that was subsequently destroyed, public records show that Whitney was fired for destroying! 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