Martinez Police Kill Unarmed Tahmon Wilson
The Department of Justice is investigating the Martinez Police Department after 4 officers fired into a moving vehicle killing Tahmon Wilson (20) & injuring Tommy Wilson Jr. (22) after an alarm was triggered at Velvet, a local cannabis store. More than 25 evidence markers were counted at the scene that night, likely for bullet casings left by the police. The police were dispatched to Velvet on August 18th around 3:30am after an video alarm was triggered, prompting a burglary response.
Today, we know there is no evidence to suggest that Velvet had been burglarized on that night, by Tommy Jr., Tahmon, or anyone else. The Wilson brothers were unarmed & aren’t being accused of any crime. Tommy Wilson Jr., who was left hospitalized, was made clear that he wasn’t in any trouble. “He was given a certificate indicating that he was not arrested and there weren’t any charges.” the Martinez Police Commander Greg Hurlbut told the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday.
As the police arrived on August 18th, an SUV left the parking lot, leaving behind a vehicle with Tahmon & Tommy Jr. As the men tried to leave the dispensary parking lot, they were approached by an officer. Martinez Police say that as Wilson was leaving the dispensary, an officer approached the vehicle who was then struck, prompting what prominent Bay Area Attorney Adante Pointer called “a hail of bullets from the rear into the car striking two brothers” into the back of the blue Infiniti. The Q60 crashed into a fire hydrant before sliding along the sidewalk where it crashed with considerable damage. After the car came to a halt, the police ripped Tommy out of the back seat & threw him to the ground causing a chipped tooth. Three ambulances were called that evening, two for the brothers, and one for an officer who allegedly sustained minor injuries.
Adante Pointer, who is representing the family, among other members of the community are calling on the Martinez Police to release the videos from all of the body worn cameras that captured video that night. Attorney General Rob Bonta is expected to investigate the Martinez Police independently per AB 1506, which is required anytime an unarmed civilian is killed by the police. “It appears that they got shot when they weren’t a danger to anyone,” Pointer said in an interview with the SF Chronicle.
A week after the police shooting, the Martinez Police released the names of the four officers that are now on paid administrative leave. The officers that discharged their firearms at Velvet on August 18th are Officer Cole Bennett, Officer Marc Kahue, Officer Raul Ceja-Mendez, and Officer Alexander Tirona.
