San Francisco resident identified as man shot dead by Martinez police outside cannabis dispensary

MARTINEZ — A 20-year-old San Francisco man has been identified as the person fatally shot last week by Martinez police as officers responded to a reported break-in at a cannabis dispensary.

Tahmon Kenneth Wilson was killed during the predawn shooting Friday outside Velvet cannabis dispensary in Martinez, according to the Contra Costa County coroner’s office.

Martinez police also shot and wounded another person while responding to a tripped burglary alarm at the dispensary, located 4808 Sunrise Drive, authorities said. That person’s condition remains unclear.

“There’s a grieving family who is rightfully seeking answers as to what happened to their loved one,” Martinez Police Chief Andrew White said in a statement broadcast on the department’s YouTube page. “I extend my condolences to those impacted by this loss of life.”

When officers arrived, they saw a white SUV fleeing from the dispensary. Officers then “broadcast that shots were fired and there was an assault on an officer.” While attempting to flee, the driver of a second vehicle crashed into a fire hydrant, police said.

One police officer suffered unspecified minor injuries in the incident.

Four Martinez police officers fired their weapons during the encounter, and all of them were subsequently placed on leave, per the department’s policy. It remains unclear when, exactly, police had fired their weapons or how many rounds they fired. The department has not identified the officers.

White called the incident “significant” for the department and for the community.

“Our department recognizes and respects the value of all human life,” he said. “This is embodied in our core values, our policies and our training. From the start of their careers, our officers are provided extensive training to properly make what may be the most important decision of their life and the lives of others. The decision to use deadly force is made in a fraction of a second in a rapidly evolving situation.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the state’s Department of Justice will investigate the shooting. Martinez police said that the state’s investigation was in accordance with Assembly Bill 1506, which requires the state to investigate all police shootings of unarmed civilians.

Check back for updates to this developing story.