The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office released surveillance video on Monday showing the moment a Walgreens security guard shot a shoplifter last month.
The DA’s office released the footage after District Attorney Brooke Jenkins decided not to charge security guard Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony in the death of transgender activist Banko Brown.
The incident happened on April 27 at a Walgreens in downtown San Francisco. In the video, Anthony is seen stopping Brown who is carrying a shopping bag near the store’s entrance. Brown resisted and Anthony punched the 24-year-old activist several times, knocking Brown to the floor.
Brown got up and tried to grab the shopping bag when Anthony placed Brown in a chokehold before letting Brown go. As Brown picked up the shopping bag, Anthony appears to unholster his gun.
Brown turned and pointed, then fake lunged at Anthony, who fired a single gunshot into Brown’s chest.
Brown collapsed to the pavement as shoppers walked past. The transgender activist was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.
Anthony told police that while the two were scuffling on the floor, Brown repeatedly threatened to stab him.
According to the SF Chronicle, police did not find a knife on Brown.
In a report that was released Monday, DA Jenkins said Anthony was in “mortal danger” and “acted in self-defense” by shooting the unarmed shoplifter.
“All of this evidence strongly suggests that Anthony firing at Brown in self-defense was objectively reasonable,” the report stated.
Brown’s death sparked outrage and protests outside the Walgreens store and in the Bay Area.
Brown was homeless and worked as an intern at the Young Women’s Freedom Center in San Francisco.
In an interview with The San Francisco Standard, Anthony said: It’s a lot to deal with. It’s a lot of pressure. A person can only take so much. When you are limited to certain options, something will happen.”
A security guard g*nned down a shoplifter at Walgreens in San Francisco. The man in white T-shirt is a man named Banko Brown. He was first beating and mauled By the security guard then being fatally sh*t. Brown was unarmed pic.twitter.com/C8KX3HFB2X
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