A man shot to death last week by Martinez police outside a marijuana dispensary was hit in the back of the head as he was driving away, and his wounded brother won’t face any charges in connection to the incident that brought police to the scene, the family’s attorney said Thursday.
The Aug. 18 shooting outside the Velvet cannabis dispensary on Sunrise Drive killed 20-year-old Tahmon Wilson, of San Francisco, and wounded his 22-year-old brother.
Family attorney Adante Pointer in a statement Thursday night identified that man as Tommy Wilson, Jr. and reiterated his call for police-worn body-camera video recordings to be released immediately. Pointer also said police had “no reasonable or lawful explanation” for firing their guns, because both men were in a car that was leaving the scene and did not pose a threat.
Martinez police Chief Andrew White in statements last week said that four officers had fired their weapons. All of them were placed on paid administrative leave. One officer suffered minor injuries; the cause was not specified.
“State law prohibits using deadly force against a fleeing vehicle that does not pose an immediate threat,” Pointer’s statement said. “The Wilsons were driving away from the scene when the officers opened fire, hitting Tahmon in the back of his head and Tommy in his back twice, piercing his lung. By firing into a vehicle that was moving away from them, the officers took Tahmon’s life and severely injured Tommy for reasons that remain inexplicable.”
White has said only that officers responded to a burglary alarm at the dispensary and that arriving officers saw a fleeing white SUV.
Pointer also said Tommy Wilson will not be accused of a crime.
“(He) was explicitly informed by police that would face no charges in connection with the incident and was issued a certificate to that effect,” Pointer said.
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The California Department of Justice is investigating the shooting, in accordance with Assembly Bill 1506, which requires the state to investigate all police shootings of unarmed civilians. Authorities have not given any indication as to when they release any more information.
