The city of Vallejo announced Friday that it will pay $8.5 million to the family of Sean Monterrosa, a 22-year-old who died in an officer-involved shooting in 2020. 

“As we finalize the formal settlement, the city of Vallejo offers a sincere apology to the Monterrosa family and community for this tragic loss of life and recognizes the profound loss suffered by the family,” the city said in a statement Friday. 

Monterrosa was fatally shot in the early morning hours of June 2, 2020 outside a Walgreens store in Vallejo. Police responded to the area after receiving reports of looting at the store. 

When police arrived, officer Jarrett Tonn fired five shots through the windshield of an unmarked police vehicle with an AR-15 assault rifle. Monterrosa died a short time later. 

The Vallejo Police Department said that Tonn mistakenly thought that the hammer in Monterrosa’s pocket was a gun.

Tonn was fired but later reinstated after he sued the city. Attorney General Rob Bonta decided to not press charges against Tonn.

FILE: People setup signs with Sean Monterrosa’s pictures and messages such as “Justice for Sean” and “Tucan” on the fence of the school he attended — Junipero Serra Elementary School, near Holly Park, in San Francisco, Calif., on July 12, 2020. ‘Tucan’ was a nickname given to Monterrosa due to his fondness of drawing Toucan Sam, the Froot Loops cereal mascot. (Harika Maddala/ Bay City News)

The shooting sparked outrage in the Vallejo community and occurred in the midst of national unrest over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota just one week earlier. 

“It is the city’s sincere hope that this resolution, in some way, provides a measure of support to the Monterrosa family as they continue to carry forward,” the city said. 

Alise Maripuu is an intern at BCN with a focus on covering the Peninsula. Originally from San Carlos, Alise discovered her passion for journalism after studying abroad in Thailand during her senior year attending UC Santa Cruz. Her experience in Thailand taught her the consequences for democracy when living in a society with strict laws against free speech. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history, Alise took courses in journalism at Skyline Community College to learn how to write for news. As the Chief Copy Editor on Skyline’s student-run newspaper for the 2023-24 school year, Alise gained editing and managing experience leading a team of reporters. She covered hyperlocal stories affecting her campus such as the rise in food and housing insecurity. Alise wants to focus on data journalism.