Typically there are two investigations regarding an officer-involved shooting: the Vallejo Police Department would typically conduct an internal affairs investigation and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office would also investigate the case. By state law, the District Attorney (DA) has control over whether criminal charges are filed against the officers.
In this case, Vallejo Police Chief Chief Shawny Williams has requested that the OIR Group conduct an additional third-party administrative investigation. The Department has started to implement reforms suggested by the OIR Group, one of which calls for more robust internal affairs reviews of alleged wrongdoings by officers. To ensure a robust investigation as these reforms are implemented, the Chief has asked the OIR Group to conduct an independent investigation, and the investigation has begun.
The Vallejo City Council also requested that the California Attorney General’s Office conduct an additional criminal investigation into the incident. The Attorney General's Office denied that request in a letter received by the City on July 15, 2020, and the City is now calling for the DA to investigate. (See our
press release for details and links to correspondence between the Attorney General’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office and the City of Vallejo regarding the investigatory obligation.)
On July 17, the Vallejo Police Department issued a
press release announcing that State Attorney General Xavier Becerra will be stepping in to conduct a full investigation into the alleged destruction of evidence in the June 2, 2020 officer-involved shooting of Sean Monterrosa. The OIR group will also conduct a
separate administrative investigation into what happened.