(NewsNation) — A security guard at a San Francisco Walgreens shot and killed a transgender rights activist over stolen candy last April but was not charged in the 24-year-old’s death, despite public outrage. Now, the district attorney who decided not to charge the man with the killing is running for reelection this November, but her opponent vows to seek charges.
Private security guard Michael Anthony was ordered to crack down on shoplifters at Walgreens, as businesses in San Francisco’s Union Square have battled an unending slew of shoplifting incidents and burglaries.
Anthony carried a firearm as part of a heightened security push at Walgreens and fired the .40-caliber Glock at a man he believed to be shoplifting on April 27, 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported. Security camera footage shows a man, later identified as Banko Brown, in sweatpants and a T-shirt grabbing something from a shelf and slipping it into a bag.
Brown pushed past Anthony. The two tumbled to the ground, and at one point Anthony put Brown in a headlock. After releasing him from the headlock, Brown backed out of the store, at which point Anthony shot him once in the chest. Brown died.
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A total of $14.64 worth of store candy and an empty Sprite bottle were in Brown’s bag. After his death, his family and community activists protested over the lack of criminal charges against the security guard.
Anthony was initially arrested, telling police he feared he was going to be stabbed, although a knife was never found, and witnesses said they did not hear such a threat. Transgender activists marched on City Hall with a banner that read “Justice for Banko Brown,” who was also homeless. Even with public outcry, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins did not move forward with charges.
“It was a tough decision, but it was a decision grounded in the law,” Jenkins told the Wall Street Journal.
The WSJ reported that Jenkins knows the decision could cost her politically, as she seeks reelection this November. “Walgreens does not vote for me … these people walking down the streets protesting do.”
Her challenger Ryan Khojasteh, a former San Francisco prosecutor, promised to bring the case to a grand jury if he wins, according to the WSJ.
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San Francisco voters will decide who will be the next district attorney, but the entire state of California has the chance to vote on a ballot initiative that would toughen shoplifting sentences. The measure is backed by San Francisco’s Democratic mayor and major retailers, including Walgreens.
Dozens of megaretailers have closed in San Francisco since 2020, including Macy’s and Nordstrom, pointing to shoplifting and crime as the impetus for their exodus. The stores that remain in Union Square must remain vigilant of potential shoplifting, many outsourcing to private security firms. That’s what Walgreens did when it contracted with Kingdom Group Protective Services, a private security firm that employed Anthony.
Some stores prevent staff or security from chasing after shoplifters to avoid a dangerous outcome. The private firm Anthony worked for lost its Walgreens contract and returned to a hands-off policy, prohibiting its guards from carrying firearms, according to reporting from the WSJ.
With or without armed guards, shoplifting persists. Jenkins’ office is prosecuting a man for a series of thefts dating back to last December. The “prolific burglar” attempted to steal nearly $18,000 in merchandise from stores in San Francisco’s Union Square, the district attorney announced Thursday.
“My office will do everything we can to ensure that brazen retail thieves are held accountable for their crimes that impact not only the businesses but also the communities that they serve,” Jenkins said in a news release.
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