San Francisco DA Declines to Charge Security Guard in Fatal Shooting
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins will not pursue criminal charges against a security guard who shot and killed a transgender man outside a Walgreens drug store. Jenkins said evidence revealed that the security guard was acting in self-defense.
“We reviewed witness statements, statements from the suspect, and video footage of the incident and it does not meet the People’s burden to be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury that the suspect is guilty of a crime,” Jenkins said. “The evidence clearly shows that the suspect believed he was in mortal danger…”
The announcement drew protests and demands for action from the Board of Supervisors Tuesday. At least one supervisor, Aaron Peskin, has already urged Jenkins to reconsider her decision.
“The death of Banko Brown ... was nothing short of a lynching,” said one commenter at Tuesday’s board meeting.
Critics of the district attorney say the security guard – who was under contract with Walgreens – shouldn’t have been carrying a weapon in the first place. They want Waglreens held liable for the shooting.
While there is no dispute that Brown was shoplifting from the store, social justice advocates said shoplifting is a common occurrence in San Francisco. They question whether Brown would still be alive if he hadn’t been a person of color.
Read more at SF Gate.
