Fatal Vallejo officer-involved shooting following Monday night looting

ByMelanie Woodrow KGO logo
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Fatal Vallejo officer-involved shooting following Monday night looting
ABC7 News has now learned a Vallejo officer-involved shooting around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday was fatal.

VALLEJO, Calif. (KGO) -- ABC7 News has now learned a Vallejo officer-involved shooting around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday was fatal.

The shooting followed a looting at the Walgreens at Redwood and Broadway.

I-TEAM reporter Melanie Woodrow spoke with the victim's family late Tuesday night who confirmed their son was shot and killed.

ABC7 News is not releasing the victim's name until the family has had an opportunity to identify his body.

During a press conference Tuesday afternoon the Vallejo Police Chief would not take questions about the OIS and said more information would be provided in a separate press conference Wednesday.

The city of Vallejo was under an 8pm curfew again Tuesday night after an evening of looting, an officer involved shooting and someone setting fire inside City Hall.

City Hall is closed until at least Thursday because of that fire.

Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams described a night of violence and looting.

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"In 27 years of service I've never experienced anything like what I experienced last night in the city of Vallejo," said Chief Williams.

"This was a coordinated attack by organized individuals seeking to cause destruction and harm to our community," he continued.

Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan says someone broke into city hall through a window early this morning and attempted to set a fire. The sprinklers significantly damaged the first floor Human Resources Department. The Mayor says many local businesses were also damaged.

"I understand and I believe in the public's right of protest of expressing your first amendment rights about the heinous murder of George Floyd but when it comes to the destruction of private and public property I don't understand how that brings about the change people are asking for," said Mayor Sampayan.

One of the calls police got overnight was for looting at a Walgreens on the one thousand block of Redwood Street. The Vallejo Police Department says it is investigating an officer involved shooting in connection with that looting but during the press conference would not give any additional information including the condition of the individual shot by police. ABC7 News later confirmed the shooting was fatal with the victim's family.

"I know this person was transported to the hospital but I don't know this person's condition," said Mayor Sampayan.

"I want our residents to know that whatever happened will be reported that it will be open and transparent," he continued.

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Pastor Dawn Roginski is calling for that transparency now.

"I understand investigations have to happen," said Pastor Roginski.

Roginski served on a community panel last year that interviewed Police Chief candidates and helped choose Chief Shawny Williams.

"We need to trust our police and if we feel that we're not getting very much information then the trust is not going to be built," said Pastor Roginski.

"We as a city of Vallejo hear the voices of those that are in distress. What is sad is a lot of those voices are being drowned out by those who are perpetrating these acts of violence," said Mayor Sampayan.

The Solano County District Attorney's Office and the Vallejo Police Department's Detective Division are conducting a joint criminal investigation of the officer involved shooting. The case is being monitored by the Vallejo Police Department's Professional Standards Unit.

The Vallejo Police Department has said it will hold a press conference Wednesday regarding the officer involved shooting.