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Open Vallejo

@openvallejo.org

6.5K followers 16 following 229 posts

Open Vallejo is an award-winning, independent, non-partisan, nonprofit newsroom serving the public interest. We seek to illuminate a small city long burdened by police violence, corruption, and neglect. openvallejo.org

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Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 31/07/2026

Open Vallejo has identified the officers in Vallejo’s first fatal police shooting in more than six years as Sgt. Matthew Komoda and Officer Himanshu Saini.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo officers in fatal July 20 shooting identified

Open Vallejo has identified the officers in Vallejo's first fatal police shooting in more than six years as Sgt. Matthew Komoda and Officer Himanshu Saini.

Reposted by Open Vallejo

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 13/11/2024

For a generation, a secretive clique within the Vallejo Police Department has commemorated fatal shootings with beers, backyard barbecues, and by bending the points of their badges each time they kill in the line of duty, an investigation by Open Vallejo has found.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo police bend badges to mark fatal shootings

The tradition is known at the highest levels of Vallejo city government and to Solano County's district attorney, sources say.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 23/06/2026

Ordered disclosed after a years-long legal fight, the report is the city’s own investigation into a tradition in which Vallejo police bent their badges to mark the civilians they killed. The report's release comes six years after Open Vallejo first exposed the macabre ritual.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo has released its long-secret police badge-bending report. Read it here.

Ordered disclosed after a years-long legal fight, the report is the city’s own investigation into a ritual in which Vallejo police bent their badges to mark the civilians they killed.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 23/04/2026

Solano County prosecutors have filed dozens of charges against a former Kaiser employee accused of secretly recording more than 30 people over a period of years.

openvallejo.org

Former Kaiser worker charged in Vallejo hidden camera case

Prosecutors accuse Randolph Villacrusis, a former Kaiser employee, of secretly recording more than 30 people over a period of years.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 14/04/2026

After Open Vallejo revealed that Vallejo officers bent their badges to mark fatal shootings, Fairfield police pledged to investigate “immediately.” Instead, the agency took more than a year to investigate a former Vallejo officer in its ranks — and only began after he retired.

openvallejo.org

Fairfield cleared badge-bending officer of wrongdoing, records show

After Open Vallejo revealed that Vallejo officers bent their badges to mark fatal shootings, Fairfield police pledged to investigate “immediately.” Instead, the agency took more than a year to investi...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 08/04/2026

The announcement comes just one day after Andrew Murray’s latest performance review in a closed session of the Vallejo City Council.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo city manager steps down after less than two years

Murray, who started as city manager in May 2024 as the city navigated a state-imposed police reform effort, said in a statement that it was “the right time to make a transition.”

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Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 21/02/2026

A UC Berkeley grad vanished for two years after leaving his life behind to join the Zizians, a cult-like group now allegedly linked to six deaths nationwide. His parents believed he had been brainwashed. He posted $15,000 and left a Maryland jail on Friday.

openvallejo.org

Berkeley man, missing for two years, ‘left everything behind’ to join Zizians

“He’s not a violent person,” Daniel Blank's father, Alexander Blank, said. “I don’t think that Daniel actually did anything really wrong except maybe being with the wrong people.”

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 31/01/2026

The California State Bar has opened a confidential inquiry into the Vallejo City Attorney’s Office, Open Vallejo has learned, adding a new front in the mounting scrutiny of the office. City Attorney Veronica Nebb wrote in an email Friday that her office is unaware of any investigation.

openvallejo.org

State Bar probes Vallejo City Attorney’s Office

The California State Bar has opened a confidential inquiry into the Vallejo City Attorney’s Office, Open Vallejo has learned.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 08/01/2026

When officials rush to comment on police shootings before the facts are in, they risk corrupting investigations and eroding public confidence in law enforcement, according to experts.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo officials’ online comments cloud police shooting review

The comments, about the shooting of a man suffering a mental health crisis, included praise for officers’ marksmanship and a determination that they had “no choice” but to shoot him in the back. A nat...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 08/01/2026

Officer Brad Kim had run toward the front of the vehicle as the driver, Jamazea Kittell, tried to leave. Kim landed on the hood, shot Kittell in the face, then fired more rounds as the car drove off and crashed. Both men survived.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo fails to disclose seized footage in June police shooting

The city of Vallejo has released three body camera videos from the June 27 nonfatal shooting of Jamazea Deyon Kittell, but as of Thursday afternoon had withheld other footage that could shed additiona...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 08/01/2026

The policy change came days after a Vallejo officer fired into a car that struck him during an early morning burglary call.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo officer injures man in first police shooting in three years

A Vallejo police officer shot and wounded a person early Tuesday morning, ending the longest period of time the department had gone without shooting at a person in more than 20 years.

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Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 07/01/2026

Since 2023, Vallejo police policy has prohibited shooting at moving vehicles — unless the occupant poses a deadly threat separate from the vehicle itself, like a firearm.

documentcloud.org

2025-03-04 Vallejo Police Department Policy Manual

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Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 07/01/2026

How should courts evaluate police shootings when someone tries to drive away? A unanimous Supreme Court ruled last May that courts must consider the totality of the circumstances — not just the moment before an officer pulls the trigger. #Minneapolis

openvallejo.org

U.S. Supreme Court rejects ‘moment of threat’ rule in police shootings

A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court shifted a contentious legal standard in favor of civil rights plaintiffs Thursday.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 01/01/2026

We are just $553 away from our $30,000 goal! Your tax-deductible gift is tripled until midnight. Will you help us over the finish line? openvallejo.org/donate

openvallejo.org

Donate to Open Vallejo

Support award-winning, nonprofit investigative reporting in Vallejo, a city long burdened by police brutality, corruption, and neglect.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 01/01/2026

Your tax-deductible donation will be TRIPLED if you give before midnight Pacific Time tonight! Support ethical, accurate, high-impact local news in the public interest. openvallejo.org/donate

A NewsMatch graphic noting that donations to Open Vallejo will be tripled until midnight tonight.

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Reposted by Open Vallejo

Nate Cardozo @natecardozo.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Open Vallejo is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that gets impactful journalism done all year long. I support them out of my own pocket and I urge you to do the same.

Reposted by Open Vallejo

RJKSac 🤦🏻‍♀️ @rjksac.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Please support local journalism. Open Vallejo has done incredible work!!

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

None of this happens without your support; Open Vallejo publishes news for people, not for profit. We don't have a billionaire owner or an opaque corporate parent. Instead, we rely on readers like you. Help us reach our goal before #NewsMatch ends at midnight on December 31. openvallejo.org/donate

A thermometer donation meter that shows Open Vallejo has raised roughly $24,000 of its $30,000 goal.

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Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

We filed amicus briefs supporting @aclu-norcal.bsky.social in a case that successfully challenged Vallejo's attempts to keep a long-hidden report into badge-bending under wraps, five years after Open Vallejo first revealed the practice. The case expands access to public records statewide.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo police bend badges to mark fatal shootings

The tradition is known at the highest levels of Vallejo city government and to Solano County's district attorney, sources say.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

We published a guide to help residents find free groceries during the federal shutdown — and exposed how Solano County had allocated almost no funds for hunger relief. Following our reporting, the city of Vallejo convened a meeting to plan for future cuts.

openvallejo.org

Where Vallejo finds free groceries amid federal shutdown

Local organizations have already seen an increase in need, and are preparing for more amid a potential cutoff of food aid.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

We continued to build the Vallejo People's Archive, a free, searchable public resource now comprising over one million pages of local historical records. The model is designed to scale to other communities as we expand.

Building the Vallejo People’s Archive

How Open Vallejo is unearthing and preserving long-buried records to support local democracy

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

We revealed that a Vallejo SWAT officer posted dashcam footage of a high-speed pursuit on Instagram, accompanied by rap music and a swaggering caption. The city denied our records request. We obtained and published the footage anyway.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo officer under investigation over leaked pursuit video

Confidential dash cam footage of a high-speed pursuit surfaced on Instagram earlier this month, overlaid with rap music and an emoji-punctuated warning, in apparent violation of Vallejo Police Departm...

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Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

We showed how prosecutors charged an advocate for the unhoused with six counts of "offensive words" after he criticized officers and asked for badge numbers. Our analysis of charging data from all nine Bay Area counties found that the obscure statute is typically used to plead down serious felonies.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo advocate charged over ‘offensive words,’ raising constitutional concerns

“One man’s vulgarity is another’s lyric,” U.S. Supreme Court Justice John M. Harlan II observed in a landmark 1971 free speech case, Cohen v. California.

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Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

We held two police oversight officials accountable when they made public comments about the shooting that experts said threatened the investigation's integrity. One immediately resigned in response to our reporting.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo officials’ online comments cloud police shooting review

The comments, about the shooting of a man suffering a mental health crisis, included praise for officers’ marksmanship and a determination that they had “no choice” but to shoot him in the back. A nat...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

We exclusively obtained footage from an August police shooting that the district attorney refuses to disclose, in violation of state law. With the help of Covington & Burling, we're suing to end this illegal practice.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo police shot a man amid a mental health crisis. Here is the footage the DA refuses to release.

The Solano County District Attorney's Office wants to shield video of the most recent Vallejo police shooting from public view, despite a state law mandating its release. Open Vallejo has obtained the...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

Our investigation into a man's 2016 death in police custody prompted four outside agencies to release records. With the true facts in hand, the man's family sued Vallejo. A federal judge rejected the city's statute of limitations defense, crediting our reporting with bringing the incident to light.

openvallejo.org

‘I can’t breathe’: video shows death Vallejo police concealed for years

Open Vallejo has prompted four law enforcement agencies to disclose records that reveal new details of a nearly decade-old death in Vallejo police custody. Meanwhile, the city of Vallejo is still figh...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

We reported that for years, Vallejo police used a secret filing system to conceal officer misconduct records from courts. A civil rights attorney alleges the city fraudulently hid 150 incidents in prior litigation. The revelations could also upend criminal cases, including past convictions.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo police hid misconduct records from courts, former captain alleges

For years, Vallejo police systematically defied court orders to produce police misconduct files, according to sworn statements by an attorney and a former police captain in connection with an ongoing ...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

We published deposition testimony in which Vallejo's first Black police chief alleged he resigned after receiving anonymous threats the city refused to investigate — and that the City Attorney's Office tried to intimidate him before his testimony.

openvallejo.org

Former Vallejo police chief says city ignored threats

Former Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams resigned after receiving a series of anonymous threats, according to newly-released deposition testimony. He is the latest in a string of former city offici...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

We broke a major national story connecting the suspect in a Vallejo killing to a person charged in the killing of a federal agent in Vermont. In the process, we uncovered the cult-like #Zizians, who authorities allege are linked to half a dozen deaths nationwide.

openvallejo.org

Suspects in killings of Vallejo witness, Vermont border patrol agent connected by marriage license, extreme ideology

Both suspects attended the prestigious Lakeside School in Seattle, studied computer science, and appear to sympathize with fringe Bay Area group described as a “murder gang.”

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Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

Our small team produces sophisticated, weighty investigations that rival reporting from outlets many times our size. Here's some of what we accomplished in 2025. 🧵

openvallejo.org

Donate to Open Vallejo

Support award-winning, nonprofit investigative reporting in Vallejo, a city long burdened by police brutality, corruption, and neglect.

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Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/12/2025

Open Vallejo is the city's only nonprofit, investigative newsroom. With a little over 48 hours to go in #NewsMatch, we are 80% of the way to our $30,000 fundraising goal. Will you help us close the gap with a tax-deductible gift? openvallejo.org/donate

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 23/12/2025

We’re almost halfway to our $30K goal — and the finish line is just eight days away. If you value Open Vallejo’s unique, high-quality accountability reporting, donate today to help us thrive in the new year. #NewsMatch will double your tax-deductible gift!

openvallejo.org

Donate to Open Vallejo

Support award-winning, nonprofit investigative reporting in Vallejo, a city long burdened by police brutality, corruption, and neglect.

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Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 16/12/2025

Open Vallejo is the city's only nonprofit newsroom. Our high-quality investigative reporting is 100% reader supported, meaning we publish information that serves the public, not advertisers or political interests. Donate today, and your tax-deductible gift will be matched up to $1,000.

openvallejo.org

Donate to Open Vallejo

Support award-winning, nonprofit investigative reporting in Vallejo, a city long burdened by police brutality, corruption, and neglect.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 03/12/2025

We aim to recruit 100 new donors and raise $30,000 from new and existing supporters. Thanks to #NewsMatch, gifts of up to $1,000 are matched dollar-for-dollar — and new monthly gifts are matched 12 times(also up to $1,000)! Donations are tax-deductible: openvallejo.org/donate

openvallejo.org

Donate to Open Vallejo

Support award-winning, nonprofit investigative reporting in Vallejo, a city long burdened by police brutality, corruption, and neglect.

000

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 03/12/2025

It’s #GivingNewsDay at Open Vallejo. For five years, we’ve provided Solano County with meticulous accountability reporting on public safety, government, and more as the region’s only nonprofit investigative newsroom. NewsMatch will match your tax-deductible gift up to $1,000: openvallejo.org/donate

Four people standing shoulder to shoulder, smiling

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 24/11/2025

In a newly released deposition, former Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams said he resigned after the city failed to investigate a series of anonymous threats against him and alleged that the Vallejo City Attorney’s Office tried to intimidate him over his testimony.

openvallejo.org

Former Vallejo police chief says city ignored threats

Former Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams resigned after receiving a series of anonymous threats, according to newly-released deposition testimony. He is the latest in a string of former city offici...

Reposted by Open Vallejo

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 07/11/2025

EXCLUSIVE: The Solano County District Attorney's Office wants to shield video of the most recent Vallejo police shooting from public view, despite a state law mandating its release. Open Vallejo has obtained the unredacted recordings. Watch the video here.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo police shot a man amid a mental health crisis. Here is the footage the DA refuses to release.

The Solano County District Attorney's Office wants to shield video of the most recent Vallejo police shooting from public view, despite a state law mandating its release. Open Vallejo has obtained the...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 12/11/2025

Today and every day, our nonprofit newsroom is ready to cover the stories that need to be told. If you value our local investigative reporting, will you contribute to Open Vallejo during our #NewsMatch campaign? Your gift will be matched up to $1,000! Thank you! Donate here: openvallejo.org/donate

openvallejo.org

Donate to Open Vallejo

Support award-winning, nonprofit investigative reporting in Vallejo, a city long burdened by police brutality, corruption, and neglect.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 07/11/2025

EXCLUSIVE: The Solano County District Attorney's Office wants to shield video of the most recent Vallejo police shooting from public view, despite a state law mandating its release. Open Vallejo has obtained the unredacted recordings. Watch the video here.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo police shot a man amid a mental health crisis. Here is the footage the DA refuses to release.

The Solano County District Attorney's Office wants to shield video of the most recent Vallejo police shooting from public view, despite a state law mandating its release. Open Vallejo has obtained the...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 03/11/2025

Open Vallejo has compiled a shareable list of places to get free groceries in Vallejo. The federal government will fund only partial food stamp benefits this month, the Trump administration said in court filings Monday. See the list: openvallejo.org/2025/10/31/w...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 02/11/2025

Today kicks off our #NewsMatch campaign! There’s never been a more critical time to stand up for nonprofit newsrooms like ours. Through 12/31, the impact of your tax-deductible donation is DOUBLED! Will you show your support today?

openvallejo.org

Donate to Open Vallejo

Support award-winning, nonprofit investigative reporting in Vallejo, a city long burdened by police brutality, corruption, and neglect.

000

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 31/10/2025

Local nutrition assistance organizations have already seen an increase in need, and are preparing for more amid a potential cutoff of food aid on Saturday. Here is where to find free groceries, how Solano County's efforts compare to those of its neighbors, and how to help.

openvallejo.org

Where Vallejo finds free groceries amid federal shutdown

Local organizations have already seen an increase in need, and are preparing for more amid a potential cutoff of food aid.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 25/10/2025

Vallejo immigrant rights groups braced for raids as warning flyers appeared downtown on Friday. By this afternoon, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee announced that federal authorities had canceled sweeping plans for operations across the greater Bay Area.

openvallejo.org

Bay Area immigration surge called off, officials say

Organizations serving Vallejo immigrant communities braced for federal agents to flood the Bay Area this week, as flyers warning of expected immigration raids appeared on buildings downtown. But on Fr...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 17/10/2025

The commentary, about the shooting of a man suffering a mental health crisis in the back, was “wildly inappropriate,” according to one national use-of-force expert. Last month, Vallejo’s mayor called on police leadership to remove Balbuena from the investigation, but received no response, she said.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo officials’ online comments cloud police shooting review

The comments, about the shooting of a man suffering a mental health crisis, included praise for officers’ marksmanship and a determination that they had “no choice” but to shoot him in the back. A nat...

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Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 17/10/2025

Vallejo Police Department Critical Incident Review Board member Phillip Balbuena resigned one day after Open Vallejo reported on his online comments and those of another commissioner, which experts said threatened the integrity of the oversight process.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo police oversight official resigns over online posts

Phillip Balbuena, who served as a member of the Vallejo Police Department’s Critical Incident Review Board, stepped down on Sept. 30, one day after Open Vallejo reported on his online commentary and t...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 07/10/2025

Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, blocked the administration’s attempt to sidestep an earlier order finding protests in Oregon were “not significantly violent or disruptive” enough to justify federalizing the Oregon National Guard.

openvallejo.org

Federal judge blocks deployment of California Guard to Portland

Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, blocked the administration’s attempt to sidestep an earlier order finding protests in Oregon were “not significantly violent or disruptive” enough to justify f...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 01/10/2025

Solano County will pay $17 million to resolve a “historic” civil rights lawsuit involving the sheriff’s office, as supervisors approve an $11.2 million contract to deploy deputies in Vallejo.

openvallejo.org

Amid $17 million settlement, sheriff to expand Vallejo patrols

Solano County will pay $17 million to resolve a “historic” civil rights lawsuit, as supervisors approve an $11.2 million contract to deploy sheriff’s deputies in Vallejo.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 30/09/2025

The comments, about the shooting of a man suffering a mental health crisis in the back, included praise for officers’ marksmanship. A national use-of-force expert called the commentary “wildly inappropriate,” while Vallejo’s mayor called for one official’s “immediate removal” from the investigation.

openvallejo.org

Vallejo officials’ online comments cloud police shooting review

The comments, about the shooting of a man suffering a mental health crisis, included praise for officers’ marksmanship and a determination that they had “no choice” but to shoot him in the back. A nat...

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 19/09/2025

Read more about the West Coast Health Alliance here.

openvallejo.org

California forms state consortium to counter health misinformation

State officials said they acted in response to what they called the “destruction” of scientific integrity at the nation’s top public health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Open Vallejo @openvallejo.org · 19/09/2025

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state health officials released the recommendations as part of the state’s newly formed health alliance with Oregon, Washington and Hawaii.

openvallejo.org

California releases vaccine recommendations as CDC shifts policy

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state health officials released the recommendations as part of the state’s newly formed health alliance with Oregon, Washington and Hawaii.