Former Officer Jarret Tonn brutally shot and killed our brother while on his knees with his hands raised. He killed Sean while sitting in the back of an unmarked pickup truck and firing a rifle multiple times through the windshield of the truck.
With a lot of help from Grassroots Law Project supporters like you, the Vallejo Police Department finally fired the officer after an independent report showed there was no reason the officer should have fired his gun.
We are relieved to know that former Officer Tonn is no longer working for the Vallejo Police. But firing him is not enough. The Department making the decision to fire him is rare and we’re grateful, but it cannot be considered justice for our brother’s death. We need the Attorney General to act as well and hold this officer accountable.
Attorney General Rob Bonta must charge former Officer Tonn for our brother’s death.
For far too long, victims like my brother, who come from a working class family like ours, aren’t looked at as real victims. Their stories are often hushed out, their families suffer in silence for years and the officers who committed the crimes face no consequence at all.
If former Officer Tonn isn’t held accountable for his actions, it will be a slap in the face of justice reform, accountability and all the evidence that speaks to real public safety in our community. While prosecuting him won’t bring Sean back, it’ll be a critical component of justice and helping us heal from such horrific crimes by police who are meant to serve and protect us.
And as his sisters, we will not stop fighting until justice is served and a clear message is sent that this kind of police violence will not be tolerated in Vallejo or anywhere across the state.
But we can’t do it alone. We need all of you because it’s going to take all of us to fight against this deep rooted and long standing unjust police system.
Thank you so much,
Ashley and Michelle Monterrosa