VALLEJO, Calif. — A Vallejo police officer was fired on Thursday for not following department policies.
The former officer, Ryan McMahon, was fired after the department finished an Internal Affairs investigation. The investigation found that McMahon violated department policies, including "engaging in unsafe conduct and neglect for basic firearm safety during the incident," according to a press release.
“Any conduct outside the level of professionalism this City deserves will not be tolerated by the Vallejo Police Department,” said Chief of Police Shawny Williams in the press release.
McMahon was the officer who shot and killed 33-year-old Ronell Foster after stopping him for riding his bike without a headlamp in 2018. The Solano County District Attorney found McMahon was justified in using deadly force against Foster, but the city of Vallejo eventually paid the family $5.7 million after they sued McMahon.
"I understand we have a long way to go in rebuilding trust among the residents of Vallejo and I will continue to take the necessary steps to better serve this community," said Williams.
Famed civil rights attorney John Burris settled the lawsuit with the city back in 2018.
"Number one it was about time. It should have happened a while ago. It was disappointing though because he was not really fired for the major events that he was involved in," Burris said about McMahon’s firing. "It was two police shootings and he should have been terminated for either one or both of them, but he was not!"
McMahon was involved in the February 2019 shooting of 20-year-old Willie McCoy who was sleeping in the drive-thru lane at a Vallejo Taco Bell. During that incident officers said McCoy had a gun in his lap. McMahon and five other officers fired more than 50 rounds at McCoy after they say he reached for the gun.
"For me it was kind of a hollow victory for the family because in fact the man should be prosecuted, and at the very least he should be terminated for the most egregious acts that he was engaged in," Burris said.
The Vallejo Police Chief released this statement saying, "Any conduct outside the level of professionalism this City deserves will not be tolerated by the Vallejo Police Department. I understand we have a long way to go in rebuilding trust among the residents of Vallejo and I will continue to take the necessary steps to better serve this community."
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