California’s top prosecutor won’t seek charges in 2020 fatal police shooting of Bay Area man

Published December 19, 2023 6:54 PM

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California’s attorney general will not seek criminal charges against a Vallejo police officer who fatally shot a man, even though it turned out the gun he carried was fake. Thursday’s announcement by Attorney General Rob Bonta ends his first such review under a new California law that requires the state Department of Justice to review all incidents where an officer shoots and kills an unarmed civilian in the state. Officers responded in July 2021 to reports that Matthew James Sova was walking with a handgun along the Walk of Fame. At least one person reported seeing him pointing the gun at someone.

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