ACLU seeks decertification of nine current and former Vallejo police officers

VALLEJO – The Northern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is urging the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to investigate and de-certify nine current and former Vallejo Police officers in a complaint filed last week.

Those officers include current Vallejo police officers Colin Eaton, Jordon Patzer, Bryan Glick, Mark Thompson, and Jarrett Tonn as well as former Vallejo officers Anthony Romero-Cano, Ryan McMahon, Sean Kenney and Dustin Joseph, who later was hired by Fairfield police. All were involved in at least one fatal on-duty shooting. Kenney had three, all which occurred within three months in 2012. 

In a 49-page complaint, the ACLU said those nine officers “all have been alleged to commit serious misconduct in the use of deadly force that resulted in death or serious bodily injury” resulting in settlements of more than $13 million.  

“Decertifying officers who commit serious misconduct will be a step towards meaningful accountability that will positively affect systemic change within the department,” the complaint states. “Decertification will also show Vallejo community members there is a commitment to correct injustice and enhance public safety for the people of Vallejo.”

POST has the discretionary power to investigate officers who are found to commit misconduct under SB 2. Passed in 2021, it established a statewide system to suspend or decertify officers found to have committed serious misconduct.  

Eaton, Patzer, Glick, Romero-Cano, Thompson, and McMahon were all involved in the 2019 shooting of Willie McCoy Jr., who was found unresponsive behind the wheel of his car in a Taco Bell drive-thru. Officers said McCoy had a gun, but crowded around his vehicle and fired 55 times as McCoy stirred. Officers claimed there was no way into the car, but they neglected to tell investigators that the car's passenger window was missing and covered with plastic. 

The year prior, McMahon chased, Tased, beat and shot Ronell Foster for not having a light on his bicycle while riding at night. McMahon was later fired for his role in the McCoy shooting, the first firing related to a shooting that’s been sustained in recent history.

Joseph and Kenney shot Mario Romero 30 times as he sat in his car in front of his home, as his family watched in 2012. That year, Kenney would also shoot and kill Anton Barrett and Jeremiah Moore. (After, Kenney was promoted to detective and investigated other police shootings, all which were to be found within department policy.)

Detective Jarrett Tonn shot and killed Sean Monterrosa in June 2020 amid widespread looting in response to the police murder of George Floyd. Tonn fired a high-powered rifle from the back seat of an unmarked police car after mistaking a hammer in Monterrosa’s sweatshirt for a gun. Tonn was later fired for his role in the shooting but — like most fired Vallejo officers — he won his job back in arbitration. 

Besides the deadly shootings, the ACLU complaint details other allegations against several officers, including three other incidents with Eaton. One incident captured on video — the violent arrest of a 19-year-old shoplifting suspect — went viral on TikTok and has resulted in a lawsuit against him, the department and the city. 

“Vallejo residents deserve to feel safe in their community and shouldn't be brutalized by those who have been sworn to protect them,” the complaint states.

All but one Vallejo officer was cleared by the department’s internal affairs department — McMahon was fired for endangering another officer during the McCoy shooting. POST’s website says it takes dispositions of other investigations into consideration, but conducts its own evaluation. “Each Professional Conduct Bureau is responsible for conducting an independent assessment and analysis of any alleged serious misconduct before making any recommendation for action,” it states.

“If POST does not use its statutory authority, the Vallejo community will continue to suffer unnecessary harm and distrust of Vallejo police officers,” the ACLU’s complaint states. “Meanwhile, nothing will prevent officers who brutalized community members to move to a different place and cause further harm.” 

In coordination with the release of the ACLU’s report, family members of McCoy, Foster, Moore, and Monterrosa are planning a rally in West Sacramento on Thursday.