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 is a general assignment reporter with a focus on covering government, elections, housing, crime, courts and entertainment in San Francisco and on the Peninsula. Alise is a Bay Area native from San Carlos. She studied history at University of California, Santa Cruz and first started journalism at Skyline College’s school newspaper in San Bruno. She has interned for Bay City News and for Eesti Rahvusringhääling, or Estonian Public Broadcasting. She has covered everything from the removal of former San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus to the divisive battle over the Great Highway on San Francisco’s west side. Please send her any tips.