VALLEJO, Calif. (KRON) – Vallejo police are starting a dialogue about a recent incident that led to an officer shooting a suspect. It happened on Nov. 20, and the man did survive.
The Vallejo Police Department held a community town hall Wednesday night in an effort to build back the community’s trust and provide maximum transparency. They discussed the initial investigative steps after an officer shot a suspect back on Nov. 20.
Police say the officer was trying to arrest two people in connection to an armed robbery. One of the suspects was a juvenile.
VPD says they will be conducting an administrative investigation while the Solano County Major Crimes task force handles the criminal investigation. Some questions couldn’t be answered because it’s still an active investigation — prompting concerns from many residents.
“I believe that the citizens of Vallejo deserved and have earned the right to be told the truth,” one resident said.
There is also a critical incident review board made up of mostly police officials and just one Vallejo community member. Some people questioned the department on why there isn’t more community involvement.
“All of this is new to us and that’s why we opened our review board to the public to get as many comments, concerns and questions as possible,” a Vallejo police public information officer said.
Vallejo resident Tonia Leviju says although she has concerns, she’s grateful to see the department holding this forum.
“There is an effort, I believe, by the police department, to build that trust and this is one way a police department can build that trust, by having these types of community meetings to share about critical incidents,” she said.
No surveillance evidence was shown because of one of the suspects’ age. The district attorney will have final oversight of the criminal investigation and investigators.
