Vallejo to pay $8.5M settlement for 2020 police killing of Sean Monterrosa

VALLEJO — The city of Vallejo reached an $8.5 million settlement in a civil rights lawsuit over the Vallejo police killing of 22-year-old Sean Monterrosa in June 2020, his family’s attorneys announced Tuesday. 

Sean Monterrosa was shot in the back of the head on June 2, 2020, by then-Officer Jarrett Tonn after police were dispatched to a call for potential looting at a Vallejo Walgreens amid nation-wide protests over the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. 

Tonn shot Monterrosa from the backseat and through the windshield of an unmarked police truck as they conducted a high-risk felony stop maneuver. Tonn said he believed Monterrosa had a gun, but Monterrosa only had a hammer.

“There is nothing that can be done to bring back Sean, but this settlement provides the Monterrosa family with the justice they have relentlessly sought for the past five years,” John Coyle, an attorney for the family, said in a statement.  “This resolution reflects the historical shortcomings of the Vallejo Police Department and helps place the Monterrosa family in a position to carry on Sean’s legacy by living their lives to the fullest.

The lawsuit was originally filed Aug. 6, 2020, in federal court against the city of Vallejo, the Vallejo Police Department, and Tonn. The settlement is the largest civil rights settlement in the city's history.

Tonn, who had previously shot three other people, was fired after killing Monterrosa but was later reinstated. Tonn was promoted to sergeant last year. 

Monterrosa’s killing came during a series of scandals and upheavals for the Vallejo Police Department following the 2019 killing of Willie McCoy and a police captain raising allegations that police officers were bending their badges to mark shootings. Days after the Monterrosa shooting, Vallejo police entered a reform agreement with the state Department of Justice, which the department is still struggling to complete.

There has not been a fatal officer involved shooting since Monterossa’s death, but there have been three non-fatal shootings by Vallejo police officers. Vallejo’s police department was previously considered one of the deadliest in the nation.

The Monterrosa family stated in a press release that they are “encouraged by the immediate changes that have been put into place within the Vallejo Police Department,” while acknowledging that difficulties remain.

Monterrosa’s two sisters, Michelle and Ashley Monterrosa, founded the non-profit The Sean Monterrosa Project after his death to advocate against police violence. In January of this year, they awarded two students with scholarships in partnership with City College of San Francisco.

“The loss of Sean will forever be with our family, and no settlement can ease our pain.

Nonetheless, we are grateful to have reached a resolution in this case,” the Monterrosa family said in a statement.

Vallejo police did not immediately respond to comment.