VALLEJO, Calif. — The Vallejo City Attorney's Office filed three motions on Saturday regarding the case of Vallejo Police officers killing San Francisco man Sean Monterrosa in June, during a protest against law enforcement violence.
A Vallejo Police officer shot and killed Sean Monterrosa from the back of a police vehicle outside of a Vallejo Walgreens. Police were responding to reports of looting after a day of protest back in early June.
The attorney's office is attempting to move Monterrosa's family's case against the city of the Vallejo to Fresno; restrict John Burris, the attorney for Monterrosa's family, from speaking to the media; and to dismiss Monterrosa's sisters from the complaint.
City Attorney's officials said it is impossible to hold a fair hearing in the killing of Monterrosa because it has been so politicized. The motion cites a July 17 tweet from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in which she describes Monterrosa's death as "murder."
"I join Sean’s family & others in calling for an FBI investigation into Sean’s murder, including into the destruction of essential evidence in this homicide case," Pelosi tweeted.
Attorney's officials claim Burris is spreading misinformation when he speaks to journalists regarding the case. The motion cites an ABC10 interview with Burris about how Vallejo police destroyed evidence.
The Vallejo police chief said in July that the windshield of the Vallejo police vehicle through which an officer fired the shot that killed Monterrosa was destroyed. City officials said the vehicle was also placed back into service without approval from either the police chief or city attorney's office.
"Someone did this deliberately. We don't know who, we don't know why and we have to get to the bottom of it," Burris told ABC10.
Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams said in a July press release that he is disappointed the windshield was not preserved during the investigation.
