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Brooke Jenkins not yet releasing surveillance video in killing of Banko Brown
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins is defending her decision to not yet release surveillance video in the fatal shooting of Banko Brown at a Walgreens store.
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton called District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' handling of the killing of Banko Brown, an alleged shoplifter shot by a Walgreens security guard, a "contradiction."
Jenkins initially declined to file charges against the security guard, Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony, 33, due to his "self-defense" argument in the deadly shooting of Brown on April 27. However, on Monday, Jenkins said no final decision has been made on whether to charge Anthony, and the investigation into Brown's death is ongoing.
"This appears to be a contradiction," Walton said in a statement Tuesday, adding that he hopes that Jenkins' "subsequent change of mind on May 8, does not compromise the prosecutorial integrity of the case."
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'War on the Poor': Rally to remember Banko Brown — victim of SF Walgreens shooting
Activists held a rally on Market Street in San Francisco Monday afternoon at the spot where 24-year-old Banko Brown was shot and killed last Thursday evening. More than a hundred activists gathered at the Walgreens where Brown was shot dead. They are speaking out, demanding change from Walgreens and from the city.
The deadly shooting in the San Francisco pharmacy has turned into a divisive political issue. A rally for Brown drew a large turnout last week.
Last Tuesday, Walton had sent a letter to Jenkins, asking for her office to publicly release video footage showing the circumstances around Brown's killing by Anthony who was working in the Walgreens store on 4th and Market streets. Walton also requested that she reconsider her decision not to charge the case.
Jenkins responded to Walton in a "sharply worded" letter, warning him not to intervene in the investigation, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
In the letter, Jenkins said called Walton's request, "wholly inappropriate and dangerous to the interests of justice and a fair criminal justice system for all people," the news outlet said.
However, Walton said his request in no way impedes on the investigation.
"I disagree with the District Attorney’s opinions and have been informed by our Deputy City Attorney that my request has no interference with the investigation and it is not at all unethical," said Walton.
Jenkins on Monday defended her decision to not yet release the videos of Brown's killing.
"I hear and understand the concerns from people calling for transparency, but releasing any evidence before the investigation is complete could compromise the investigation and is unethical," the district attorney said in a news release.
Jenkins said when she first announced that Anthony was not being charged with Brown's death, it was because the evidence did not meet the prosecution's burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed.
Jenkins said her office discharged the case and asked officers to gather more evidence before she made a final decision.
Over the weekend, State Sen. Scott Wiener called for any evidence concerning Brown's death, including any video and witness statements, to be released to the public.
Meanwhile, at Tuesday's Board of Supervisors' meeting, Supervisor Dean Preston introduced legislation that would limit the ability for security guards to use guns in San Francisco.
Preston wants to amend the Police Code so security guards are prohibited from unholstering their weapons unless there is an "actual and specific threat to a person."
"While there remain many questions and uncertainties around the murder of Banko Brown, I believe we can all agree that under no circumstances is property worth more than human life. No property, let alone less than $20 worth of candy, is worth more than a human life -- whether that person is homeless or not," said Preston.