Vallejo police official accused of drinking on the job
(Photo by Matthew Keys for Solano NewsNet)
The deputy police chief for the City of Vallejo was allowed to observe the scene of a homicide after he had been drinking, according to a new report published this week.
On Wednesday, the not-for-profit news organization Open Vallejo reported on an internal memo that questioned whether Deputy Police Chief Jason Ta had violated several internal policies regarding on-duty conduct after fellow officers detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from him the day of the homicide.
The internal memo said Deputy Chief Ta was not at the scene in any decision-making capacity, and was merely an observer of police activity there. Still, he was carrying a firearm while apparently impaired by alcohol — one officer noted he appeared to be slurring his speech — and he reportedly smoked a nicotine product in front of the family members of the victim at the scene, which was an additional violation of departmental policy.
Deputy Chief Ta ultimately told Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams about the incident, but only after he was confronted by the memo’s author, former Captain Jason Potts. The former captain eventually took his complaint to the city manager’s office after months went by without any evidence that the complaint had resulted in an internal investigation, Open Vallejo reported.
It was not clear if Deputy Chief Ta was placed on leave immediately after the incident, nor was it known if he remains on duty today. A spokesperson for the police department has not yet returned a request for comment. Open Vallejo said Chief Williams affirmed an internal investigation had been immediately launched after Chief Potts brought the matter to his attention, but the news organization said Chief Williams declined further comment and an opportunity to speak with reporters by telephone.
Deputy Chief Ta was recruited by the Vallejo Police Department early last year after a lengthy career in law enforcement with the San Jose Police Department, according to an article published by the Vallejo Times Herald newspaper. Chief Williams also served with the San Jose Police Department before joining Vallejo as its chief of police in 2019.
In his memo, Captain Potts said he did not confront Deputy Chief Ta about the incident on that day because he was worried about retaliation, noting the Deputy Chief’s long relationship with the Chief of Police both in Vallejo and San Jose, Open Vallejo said.
Captain Potts did, however, take his concerns directly to City Hall after it was apparent to him that an investigation was not being conducted within the police department. He informed officials at City Hall of numerous witnesses who could attest to Deputy Chief Ta’s physical state the day of the homicide, and at least one witness has been summoned to answer questions, Open Vallejo reported.
The investigation into the matter appears to be ongoing, and no additional information was available as of Thursday afternoon.
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