Mayor Breed trusts D.A. to handle investigation into Banko Brown's killing
San Francisco Mayor London Breed. October 24, 2022.
SAN FRANCISCO - In her first comments about the shooting death of a Black trans man by a Walgreens security guard last month, San Francisco Mayor London Breed says she is confident both the district attorney and San Francisco Police Department will thoroughly investigate the case of Banko Brown.
"I believe District Attorney Brooke Jenkins is committed to seeking justice for victims, and right now, the DA and San Francisco Police Department are conducting a thorough investigation into this matter," Breed wrote in a statement issued Friday.
Early in their investigation, police said Brown was shoplifting at the Walgreens store located at 4th and Market streets. Jenkins soon announced the security guard, who shot and killed Brown, 24, 33-year-old Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony, would not face charges following his arrest and characterized the shooting as self-defense based on evidence.
"Ultimately, as District Attorney Jenkins has already acknowledged, if a decision to charge the suspect is made, this case will be prosecuted. And, if a decision is made to not charge in this case, the DA’s Office will release a comprehensive explanation of how the decision was made to the public. I understand the sensitivity of investigations and expect the DA and SFPD to deliver a thorough, fair and transparent investigation," Breed's statement continued.
The aftermath of Brown's killing has brought up issues surrounding the video evidence of the shooting and what led to the guard's use of lethal force. This week, in a rare display of unity, the city's Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on a resolution calling for video footage showing the circumstances of the shooting to be publicly released.
Last weekend, State Sen. Scott Wiener also called for the video of the shooting to be released in light of transparency.
This incident has also highlighted the issue of armed security guards to protect retail spaces in San Francisco. Sup. Dean Preston this week introduced legislation that would limit the ability for security guards to use guns in San Francisco. "Human life is more important than property," he said.
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That legislation echoes something activists have been calling for. Friends of Brown say he was an active community organizer for the Young Women's Freedom Center. They also say Brown had struggled with homelessness for more than a decade. The activist group has held rallies to bring attention to the fatal shooting and to remember their friend. They have called on Mayor Breed to do more to house trans youth.
The organization also wants Walgreens to eliminate armed guards. "It's insane that Walgreens has armed security, there's nothing in that store worth a human life, and Walgreens is not taking care of our community," Jessica Nowlan from Young Women's Freedom Center said in the days following the shooting.
Breed's statement concludes that the city must continue to invest in trans and African American communities.