‘It’s Not Real Justice’: Vallejo Officer Fired, But Not For Deadly Force

According to his Notice of Intent to Discipline, McMahon was found to have violated three Vallejo Police Department policies, including: failure to observe or violating department safety standards or safe working practices, unsafe firearm or other dangerous weapon handling and unsatisfactory work performance.

"Your conduct endangered fellow officers and violated safety norms of firearms handling when you chose to run with your weapon out and extended, with Officer [Bryan] Glick in front of you in your cone of fire," the notice stated.

Following the news of McMahon's termination, Kori McCoy, Willie McCoy's older brother, pointed to reporting from the independent news organization Open Vallejo of a tradition among Vallejo Police officers of bending the tips of their star-shaped badges to mark fatal police killings — a tradition that Chief Williams opened an official inquiry into in July.

McMahon arrived on scene of the McCoy shooting and fired just one of 55 total shots between six officers that night.

"He didn't get fired for murdering Ronell or Willie," said McCoy. "He was fired for a procedural issue as far as how he handled himself running from behind two officers to get one shot off on my brother."

For that one shot, McMahon would collect the second bend on his badge, according to reporting from Open Vallejo.

"What people need to understand [is] that's all about the badge bending that's been going on  in Vallejo," McCoy said. "I just want to see officers prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law when they break and violate the law."

In September, the city of Vallejo reached a $5.7 million settlement with the family of Ronell Foster, who was shot in the back of the head. The settlement was the latest multimillion dollar payment the city of Vallejo made to a family impacted by police violence in recent years. 

In a statement, the city said the settlement agreement is not an admission of liability. The city says it will pay $500,000 of the claim from government funds, the rest will come from insurance.

"I think it is sickening and unforgivable that McMahon was terminated for technical issues, as opposed to being terminated for executing Mr. Foster and going on to participate in the execution of Willie McCoy," said Melissa Nold, an attorney representing McCoy's family in a lawsuit against the city and its police department. "Unfortunately, this is just further evidence of the City's ongoing failure to supervise and properly discipline its dangerous employees."