Solano DA needs to prosecute Vallejo cops in deadly shootings, protesters say

FAIRFIELD, Calif. - Protesters gathered in Fairfield on Monday with a demand to the Solano County district attorney - prosecute Vallejo police officers involved in deadly shootings or recuse yourself.

"My heart is not at rest. My heart is not at peace. We need justice. We need accountability," said Paula McGowan, the mother of Ronell Foster, among those killed by Vallejo police.

Civil rights attorney John Burris said, "We will not accept the rationalizations and false statements, the cover-ups, none of that we're gonig to accept."

Critics of DA Krishna Abrams say she has refused to charge any Vallejo officers with a crime in connection with deadly shootings in recent years.

"It's disturbing,' said civil rights attorney Melissa Nold. "It seems to be a demonstration of bias in favor of shielding law enforcement from liability."

Nold said the DA last year had a "Blue Lives Matter" photo as her Facebook profile photo until Nold pointed it out.

She said Abrams needs to reopen closed cases and refer pending cases to the state attorney general.

This is the time to do the right thing, to go back with a purer heart and to look at these cases, because certainly a number of them warrant criminal prosecution," Nold said.

But the DA told KTVU on Monday that the shootings  under review will stay with her office - and that the attorney general has declined to look into the latest deadly shooting, that of Sean Monterrosa, who was shot and killed after an officer mistook a hammer for the butt of a gun.

In a statement, Abrams said, "As a career prosecutor, I have always supported law enforcement and all members of the community that have been victimized by crime. Neither has affected my ability to objectively review and make decisions on cases."

The DA has declined to charge the Vallejo officers who shot and killed Foster or Angel Ramos.

Prosecutors are still reviewing the deadly shooting of Eric Reason in Vallejo by an off-duty Richmond police sergeant.

Also still being reviewed is the deadly Vallejo police shooting of Willie McCoy. Officers fired 55 shots at him in the drive-thru of a Taco Bell restaurant.

"We're asking that all of those cases be submitted to the attorney general's office for prosecution," Nold said.

Although the attorney general's office is not reviewing any deadly Vallejo police shootings to date, the office is looking into the department's policies and practices in hopes of reforming the force.