FREE//GRATUITO PUBLISHED BY ACCIÓN LATINA Vol. 50 No. 12 June 18-July 1, 2020 SHOT ON HIS KNEES: FAMILY OF SF MAN KILLED BY VALLEJO POLICE DEMAND JUSTICE FAMILIARES DE HOMBRE ACRIBILLADO POR POLICÍA DE VALLEJO EXIGEN JUSTICIA Pamela Estrada El Tecolote or Sean Monterrosa’s fami- REMEMBERING ly, the feeling was bittersweet Fwhen one of the most followed activists and journalists—Shaun SEAN MONTERROSA King, who has written nearly 1,500 articles on racial injustice and police brutality—sent out a petition to ac- tion demanding justice for Monter- rosa. The Monterrosa family reached out to King for help after Sean was killed June 2 at the hands of the Vallejo Police. King sent out the Action Pac email on June 10 asking those on the mailing list to be one of the 200,000 signatures, “demanding that the Vallejo Police Department fire Offi- cer Jarrett Tonn and charge him with the murder of Sean Monterrosa.” The Vallejo Police Department has not confirmed that Tonn is in fact the officer who shot Monterrosa, but an anonymous source confirmed to the SF Chronicle that Tonn was the shooter. Body camera footage of the fatal shooting that night is also yet to be released. “My brother was already on his knees surrendering, you know, [pos- ing] no threat,” said Sean’s older sis- ter Michelle. The police have only given a brief statement with the outline of events of that night. According to the statement, Vallejo police were Michelle Monterossa speaks to a crowed of people about her brother Sean Monterrosa during his praying ceremony at 24th and Mission in San Francisco responding to the looting of a Wal- California on June 5, 2020. Photo: Emily Curiel greens when they saw Monterrosa kneeling with what turned out to be a 15-inch hammer in his waistband. The officer shot Monterrosa through Pamela Estrada lle, la hermana mayor de Sean. the windshield of his patrol car, al- El Tecolote La policía hizo una breve decla- legedly believing that the hammer ración que resumía los acontecimien- was a gun. The statement added ara la familia de Sean Monte- tos de esa noche. Según el comuni- “that the criminal and administrative rrosa, el sentimiento fue agri- cado, la policía de Vallejo respondió investigations into this matter are on- Pdulce cuando uno de los acti- al saqueo de un Walgreens cuando going.” vistas y periodistas más populares en vieron a Monterrosa arrodillado y, District 9 Supervisor Hillary medios sociales, Shaun King, quien con lo que resultó ser un martillo de Ronen introduced an In Memoriam además ha escrito casi 1,500 artícu- 15 pulgadas en su cintura. El oficial on June 9 recognizing Sean’s life and los sobre injusticia racial y brutalidad creyó, presuntamente, que el martillo legacy. She also introduced a reso- policial, envió una petición exigien- era un arma y disparó a Monterrosa lution calling on Vallejo to release do justicia para Sean. desde el parabrisas de su patrulla. La police body camera footage “in order Los Monterrosa buscaron a King declaración agrega “que las investi- to bring greater transparency in this después de que Sean fuera asesinado gaciones penales y administrativas case and help Sean’s family obtain el 2 de junio a manos de la policía de en este asunto están en curso”. justice.” Vallejo. King envió un correo elec- La supervisora ​​del Distrito 9, Coverage of Monterrosa’s death trónico de Action Pac el 10 de junio Hillary Ronen, presentó un In Me- will continue to cast him in different con la intención de recabar 200 mil moriam el 9 de junio reconociendo lights, but he was more than what po- firmas para “exigir que el Departa- la vida y el legado de Sean. También lice or any platform makes him out A person holds up a sign that says, “Justice4Sean” during Sean Monterrosa’s mento de Policía de Vallejo despida presentó una resolución en la que to be based on the last moments of praying ceremony at 24th and Mission in San Francisco California on June 5, al oficial Jarrett Tonn y lo acuse del pedía que Vallejo publicara las imá- his life. 2020. Photo: Emily Curiel asesinato de Sean Monterrosa”. genes de la cámara del policía “a fin Monterrosa had just turned 22 on El Departamento de Policía de de lograr una mayor transparencia April 24 and was ready to take on the Vallejo no ha confirmado que Tonn en este caso y ayudar a la familia de world with dreams of success, which haya sido el oficial que disparó, pero Sean a obtener justicia”. in turn meant his family’s success as una fuente anónima confirmó al SF La cobertura mediática de esta well. the top of his class. Then went on Monterrosa had moved back Chronicle que él fue el tirador. Aún muerte continuará mostrando los His sisters Michelle, 24, and Ash- to work at Cody Brock Commercial home as quarantine hit and was once no se han publicado imágenes graba- hechos bajo diferentes luces. No obs- ley, 20, Monterrosa also expressed Builders, a construction company again in the small apartment he had das con la cámara del agente sobre el tante, Monterrosa fue mucho más de how driven he began the year. He where he was employed for a brief shared with his family growing up in tiroteo de esa noche. lo que la policía diga o lo que mues- completed a rigorous six month moment due to the pandemic. San Francisco. This cozy and close “Mi hermano ya estaba de rodi- tre cualquier plataforma: Acababa de course at Job Train in carpentry and “He had such a thirst to be suc- llas rindiéndose, sabes, [sin presen- construction, where he graduated at cessful,” said younger sister Ashley. See SEAN, page 6 tar] ninguna amenaza”, dijo Miche- Vea MONTERROSA, página 6 2 El Tecolote NEWS • NOTICIAS June 18-July 1, 2020 SAN FRANCISCO LATINX HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES PERSEVERE DESPITE PANDEMIC Catherine Stites ily and school work in the same environment. Students also had El Tecolote to be on their computers a lot more than they were used to. “Sometimes it’s hard when you’re like in a Latina household *Editor’s note: Catherine Stites is a journalism student in SF because you have to do a lot of responsibilities, a lot of stuff. State’s Journalism 575 Community Media this spring. Taught And so for me it has been hard to manage between schoolwork, by professor Jon Funabiki, the class is a collaboration with El my house work and responsibilities plus being independent- Tecolote. ly doing my own college stuff, like filling out paperwork and choosing classes,” she said. andemic or not, the time has come for the class of 2020 Rodriguez said her school supplied laptops, and she was to graduate. able to do the work when she could but “the teacher can’t really P With big gatherings banned and social distancing in help everybody at once” in an online learning situation. She’s place, graduating high school seniors have been forced to veer instead been getting help from her sister who is in college. from the traditional avenue for celebration. All three graduates received scholarships from the Latin This spring, graduations have changed from walking across American Teachers Association, helping them for their college a stage to going virtual. tuition. For three San Francisco first-generation students, this grad- Rodriguez plans to go to City College of San Francisco and uation season is bittersweet. They’ve missed out on those big major in social justice and then transfer after two years. milestones, but are still excited for the future that lays ahead “I would just like to be a better version of myself if I pursue with college around the corner. the career that I would like, and not a career that just had the Larissa Chacon Hernandez was looking forward to walk- good money for it,” she said. ing across the stage at Mission High School to get her diploma. Rodriguez will be a first generation college student. “I feel COVID-19 changed all of that. Still, she said that doesn’t make good about it because there’s also like a lot of opportunities for the moment any less powerful. The pandemic served as an ex- first gen,” she said. She mentions how her dad wasn’t able to ample of what perseverance is, she said, and how regardless of have the same opportunity to go to school. a ceremony, she, and the rest of the class of 2020 still have the Chacon Hernandez immigrated from El Salvador, her moth- strength to be an example to future generations. er coming to the states before her. One of the challenges she With SFUSD schools closed since March 16 and the Bay faced when moving was her lack of knowledge of the language Area shelter-in-place order beginning March 17, those close taught in school—English. She worried how people were going high school friendships feel different too. Ida B. Wells High to be able to communicate with her, and as a result, she isolated School senior Maria Rodriguez said she texts her friends every- herself when she first started school in Concord. day, but it’s not the same as being in school together. María Rodríguez, egresada de la Secundaria Ida B. Wells, She was motivated to go to college and to be the first one in “I feel like we have a lot more to say when we’re face to sostiene su birrete en el cual se lee “Es divertido hacer lo her family to do so.