California Cop Fatally Shoots Man After Allegedly Mistaking Hammer For Gun

Source: Somboon Kaeoboonsong / EyeEm / Getty

As cities across the United States protest the murder of George Floyd and the overall unjust brutality of the police, another man has been senselessly shot by an officer.

Early Tuesday morning, Vallejo, California police fatally shot San Francisco resident Sean Monterrosa. On Thursday, Chief Shawny Williams expanded on the incident, saying the 22-year-old had already kneeled on the ground when the officer saw what allegedly looked to be a gun in his sweatshirt—but it was actually a hammer,

According to reports from KABC-TV, Monterrosa knelt outside of a Walgreens that he was suspected of breaking into when the officer shot at him five times through his car windshield. One of those shots killed him. Williams claimed that it looked as if Sean was trying to flee the scene in a car, but changed his mind.

“This individual appeared to be running toward the black sedan but suddenly stopped taking a kneeling position and placing his hands above his waist revealing what appeared to be the butt of handgun investigations later revealed that the weapon was a long 15-inch hammer tucked into the pocket of his sweatshirt,” Chief Williams said during the press conference.

The officer who shot Monterrosa has not been identified, though Williams said they have been on the force for 18 years.

“He did not see Mr. Monterrosa put his hands on it in a threatening way. So the question here is what threat if any did he actually present,” said Monterrosa family attorney John Burris. Now, the department has 45 days to release body camera footage, though Williams wants to issue it sooner. He also wouldn’t answer whether or not he thought the shooting was excessive force.

For now, the officer who killed Monterrosa and the witness officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.

Clearly, the problems we’re protesting are still ongoing.