Vallejo officer involved in 2 fatal shootings fired for 'unsafe conduct,' 'neglect for basic firearm safety'
VALLEJO, Calif. (KGO) -- Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams fired an officer involved in two fatal shootings following an internal affairs investigation.
Officer Ryan McMahon was fired for violating department policies by engaging in unsafe conduct and neglect for basic firearm safety.
In March, Chief Williams announced his intention to fire McMahon for his involvement in the fatal 2019 officer involved shooting of Willie McCoy.
McCoy was sleeping with a gun in his lap at a taco bell drive-through. Police say McCoy reached for the gun.
McMahon was one of six officers to fire 55 rounds at McCoy. McMahon was also involved in the deadly 2018 shooting of Ronell Foster. Police say Foster was stopped because he was riding his bike without a headlamp at night.
VIDEO: Vallejo police release body cam footage from deadly shooting in Taco Bell drive-thru
"The idea that they would discipline and ultimately terminate him for technical issues related to endangering another officer and not have terminated him for shooting an unarmed man in the back and shooting a sleeping person it's just really outrageous and it's fairly consistent with our ongoing belief that the city of Vallejo refuses to properly discipline and supervise their employees," said McCoy family attorney Melissa Nold.
A special prosecutor is overseeing the McCoy shooting investigation.
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In an emailed statement given exclusively to ABC7 News, McMahon's attorney Justin Buffington writes, "It is no secret that the Vallejo Police Department has been besieged by criticism levied by plaintiff's attorneys that it has failed to discipline officers in use of force cases over the years.
Now, the Department, in an effort to assuage those critics, is bragging through unprecedented press releases that it has taken disciplinary action against an officer; however, what the Department has attempted to conceal is that Chief Williams did not disciplined Officer McMahon for using excessive force.
Rather, Chief Williams, a self-proclaimed 'reformer' specifically determined that force Officer McMahon used was reasonable."
The Vallejo Police Department recently settled with Ronell Foster's family for $5.7 million.
