Authorities 'sent a cellmate' to get man shot by Vallejo police to talk about court case, attorney alleges

VALLEJO — Authorities “sent a cellmate” to share a room in a medical ward with a man shot by Vallejo police last month, a Solano County Deputy Public Defender alleged in court Tuesday morning, calling the practice a “faux pas.”

Deputy Public Defender Nick Filloy said that cellmate engaged in a “conversational overture” regarding the pending legal proceedings of 27-year-old Jamazea Kittell, who Vallejo Police Officer Brad Kim shot once in the face last month.

A Solano County court bailiff pushed Kittell, who was in a wheelchair, into court in Vallejo Tuesday morning so he could be arraigned on four counts: attempted murder of a police officer, burglary and two related to vehicle theft. Through Filloy, Kittell waived formal arraignment with Judge Jon R. Rolefson, who was sitting in for Judge Robert S. Bowers, the judge assigned to  Kittell’s case.

Kittell stood from his wheelchair during the brief proceedings, speaking with a hoarse voice to ensure he’d have his preliminary hearing within 60 days.

Rolefson set Kittell’s preliminary hearing — where some testimony will be heard in the case to see if Kittell should stand trial on his charges — for Sept. 20. Filloy said those proceedings should take “one or two days.”

Kittell’s charges stem from June 27, when Vallejo police responded to a call from the owner of Grand gas at 1401 Springs Road, who alerted them that he saw via surveillance cameras that multiple people were burglarizing his business just after 4 a.m.

Authorities allege Kittell was one of the people in the business who tried to flee and injured Kim, who shot Kittell.

On dash and body camera video released at a town hall on July 13, Kim can be seen running across the path of the Dodge Charger as he points his weapon at the driver, who then pulls away, pushing Kim over the driver’s side quarter panel.

Kim fired four rounds, one that hit Kittell in the face, right around his nasal passage. Photos released by Vallejo police show one bullet entered the driver’s side windshield and one on the passenger door behind it.

Kim fired his final two shots as he fell to the ground. Authorities have not said what those bullets struck. Kim then ran after the vehicle, which crashed into a building on the other side of Hilton Avenue.

Still conscious after being shot in the head, Kittell got out of the Charger and fell to the ground. Kim and an unidentified female officer handcuffed him and searched his pockets. Kim searched the vehicle. They found no weapons.

Minutes later, handcuffed and standing next to a Vallejo police SUV, Kittell said, "I didn't even have no gun or nothing," telling Kim he didn't see him in front of his car.

"You didn't see me?" Kim said, seemingly upset and talking over Kittell. "Hey. Talk less.”

Nearly eight minutes later, Kim began to offer basic first aid to Kittell, telling him to "Keep talking and keep breathing" as they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

Kittell remained conscious after being shot, but his father, Reggie Kittell, wrote in a statement to the court that his son “was missing for eight days” following being shot by Vallejo police.

“We filed a missing person report and a health and safety check at each hospital and police station,” Reggie Kittell told the Sun. “They told me and his mom that he was not at none of those places. No one would confirm my son's whereabouts. He's told us he was not there.”

Kittell’s family have raised issues that they had no access to him while he was in custody without charges and couldn’t have a say in his medical care.

“These false charges should be totally dismissed and the police officer Kim charged with attempted murder and stripped of his badge, because he pulled up to the scene and placed a shot into my son's face with no warning,” Reggie Kittell said he told authorities.

Filloy told the court he’d already received about “45 gigabytes of evidence” from prosecutors, but he didn’t yet see footage from the gas station’s surveillance camera which he said would have been “from directly overhead of the shooting.”

Kittell is next due in court on Sept. 13, to see if everyone is prepared for the preliminary hearing the following week.

Kittell remains in custody without bond.

“Mr. Kittell, you take care,” Rolefson said, ending Tuesday’s proceedings.

This story has been updated to more accurately reflect Filloy's description of the nature of the cellmate's interaction with Kittell.