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Two gang members indicted in 2019 fatal shooting in SF's Fillmore District, authorities say

By and Aja Seldon
Updated  January 9, 2020 5:10pm PST
San Francisco
KTVU FOX 2

Federal authorities call for increased cooperation with San Francisco officials

Christien Kafton reports.

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - Two alleged gang members were indicted Thursday on federal charges in a fatal shooting near a community center in San Francisco's Fillmore District,  authorities said. 

San Francisco police collaborated with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office to bring homicide and weapons charges against Robert Manning & Jamare Coats for their involvement in a gunbattle in March of 2019 outside the Fillmore Heritage Center, said San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott. 

The shooting left one man dead and five other people injured including a bystander who was left paralyzed. 

Scott said the two suspected assailants are convicted felons and documented gang members with a history of violence. 

Federal authorities said it was teamwork with San Francisco police that helped secure the federal indictment. They added that they would like to see increase cooperation in the future, especially when it comes to pursuing gangs. 

U.S. Attorney General for the Northern District of California David Anderson said, "We are all safer when law enforcement are allowed to work together. Cases clear faster when we remove obstacles to cooperation," he said. 

San Francisco's new District Attorney Chesa Boudin has said repeatedly that he would end the practice of filing gang enhancement charges. He said they were often used to unfairly increase punishment for black and brown defendants. 

Investigators said they hope they can be on the same page as Boudin when it comes to pursuing gang members. 

At a press conference on Thursday, Chief Scott reaffirmed his commitment to his department's gang unit and said collecting that information may be critical in the future. 

"We have to think about not just today, but the future," he said. "Four years from now there may be a new DA that may decide to do things a different way."

It's unclear if Manning and Coats will also face criminal charges at the state level. Chief Scott said as it stands, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office hasn't elected to file homicide charges against the suspects.