Video footage of the moment a Walgreens security officer shot and killed an alleged shoplifter was made public by the San Francisco District Attorney on Monday.
Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony will not be charged in the shooting death of 24-year-old Banko Brown after District Attorney Brooke Jenkins determined Anthony had acted in self-defense, according to The Associated Press (AP). Jenkins’ decision coincided with the release of footage from the April 27 incident showing the moment Anthony shot Brown as he reportedly attempted to leave the store with stolen items.
In the released footage, Anthony can be seen confronting Brown, who was attempting to leave the store with a bag full of merchandise. After a small altercation, the interaction becomes more physical with Anthony repeatedly punching Brown, knocking the suspect to the floor. As the two continue to tussle, customers casually walk by until Anthony puts Brown into a headlock. Brown eventually breaks free and retrieves the bag of merchandise before turning to face Anthony once more. As he motions towards Anthony, the licensed guard with 12 years of service, pulls out his firearm and shoots Brown.
WATCH: Newly-released surveillance footage from SF DA @BrookeJenkinsSF‘s office shows Banko Brown’s last moments before he was shot and killed at a Downtown SF Walgreens in April.
The video appears to show Brown walking with a bag in hand toward the store’s exit when the… pic.twitter.com/m7tNK9H4Ki
— The San Francisco Standard (@sfstandard) May 15, 2023
“There will be a temptation, as human beings, to only view the video footage of this incident and nothing else. We are accustomed to seeing videos online, and that often is what captures our attention rather than going the extra step to look deeper,” Jenkins said of the video footage, according to The AP.
Anthony told police that he had instructed Brown to return the shoplifted items who fought to keep them. He further alleged that Brown threatened to stab him, prompting the security guard to draw his gun in the event Brown lunged at him. As Brown moved, Anthony shot, realizing too late that the suspect was only spitting at him, The AP reported.
Widespread shoplifting in San Francisco has led many retailers to shutter their stores in the area. Jenkins, who was voted in last year, pledged to fight back against errant shoplifting and the open-air drug dealings that have plagued the city, The AP reported. (RELATED: Walgreens Closing 5 More Stores In San Francisco Because Of ‘Ongoing Organized Retail Crime)
Jenkins’ decision not to prosecute Anthony was met with heavy criticism led by San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton who claimed that Banko was “executed” dismissing the argument that there was a “perceived threat,” according to the New York Post.
“We do not need to see the video to know that Banko Brown’s killing was unjustified. Armed force is not a justified response to poverty,” Julia Arroyo, co-executive director for the Young Women’s Freedom Center said in a statement Monday, according to the AP. Brown, who worked for the Young Women’s Freedom Center as a community organizer, struggled with homelessness, Arroyo revealed to the AP. (RELATED: ‘Destroyed Our City’: Mayor London Breed Calls ‘Bullsh*t’ On Left-Wing Policies Like Defunding Police In Fight Against Rampant Crime)
“We must live with the sobering reality that he was killed for no other cause but $14,” Arroyo continued.