Man Fatally Shot by Vallejo Police Officer After Pursuit was Unarmed

Bay City News Service

A man fatally shot by a police officer following a vehicle pursuit in Vallejo early this morning was not armed when he was shot, a police spokesman said.

Anton Barrett, 41, reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a dark-colored metal object while running toward the officer at an apartment complex in the 200 block of Wilson Avenue, police said.

Thinking Barrett had a gun, the officer then opened fire several times, striking him. Barrett tried to get up but was immobilized by another officer who used his Taser to subdue him, according to police.

Barrett was taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek where he was pronounced dead shortly after 5:30 a.m. A preliminary investigation revealed that the object in Barrett's pocket was a metal wallet, not a firearm, police spokesman Sgt. Jeff Bassett said.

The shooting followed a pursuit that began shortly after midnight when officers looking for drunken drivers saw a white 1999 Lexus driving without its headlights on near the intersection of Santa Clara and Indiana streets, according to police.

The Lexus was speeding and did not yield when the officers tried to pull over the vehicle, police said. The pursuit ended at the apartment complex on Wilson Avenue, where Barrett, who was driving the car, and two other men got out of the Lexus and ran away in different directions.

Barrett's son, 18-year-old Anton Barrett Jr., was arrested after running south toward Farragut Avenue and hiding from officers. A police canine was used to search for the younger Barrett, who was eventually found hiding in some bushes, police said.

Barrett suffered some minor injuries from the dog, which also bit the officer handling the animal. Both the officer and Barrett were taken to hospitals and were later released, and Barrett was then booked into Solano County Jail on suspicion of resisting arrest, police said.

The third person in the Lexus fled north toward Hichborn Street and had not been found or identified as of this afternoon, according to police. Vallejo police and the Solano County District Attorney's Office will conduct a joint investigation into the shooting.

The officer who shot Barrett has been with the department for seven years and has been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation, as is standard department policy.

The fatal shooting is the second involving a Vallejo police officer in the past week. Late Thursday night, a man armed with a replica handgun was shot and killed by an officer in the 2000 block of Sonoma Boulevard, police said. Anyone with information about today's shooting is encouraged to call Vallejo police Detectives Mat Mustard or Fabio Rodriguez at (800) 488-9383.