SF supervisors ask DA Jenkins to release video in Brown killing

by John Ferrannini

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve a resolution urging District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to “release police reports, witness accounts and video information” in the death of Banko Brown, the 24-year-old unarmed Black trans activist shot outside of a downtown Walgreens by a store security guard last month.

The resolution, which is nonbinding, came about after Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin (District 3) first asked Jenkins to reconsider her May 1 decision not to file charges against Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony, 33, who was initially charged with one count of homicide. Jenkins dismissed that charge May 1 because she said the evidence showed self-defense.

Gay District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, a moderate from the westside who’s been a major backer of Jenkins, was one of the co-sponsors of the board’s resolution. Engardio told the Bay Area Reporter Tuesday that he worked with Peskin to amend the resolution “to remove a line that called for the district attorney to reconsider and reevaluate her charging decision.”

“It was premature to call for a different decision when we had not seen all of the evidence,” Engar- dio stated. “There is also the question of administrative interference, which supervisors are not allowed to do under the city charter. It’s important for each branch of government to respect the other’s process and autonomy.”

Engardio stated that in spite of those concerns, transparency has to win out in such a contentious case.

“At the same time, I believe that an open government is an accountable government,” Engardio continued. “I worked as a journalist for many years and I fundamentally believe in transparency. This is an extraordinary case, and I believe it is in the public interest for supervisors to call for the release of the video and evidence.”

As the B.A.R. reported last week, Brown – an unhoused, unpaid intern with the Young Women’s Freedom Center – was fatally shot the evening of April 27 as he walked out of the Walgreens at 875 Market Street.

District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton, a straight ally who is the only Black person on the board, also co-sponsored the resolution. He sent a letter of inquiry to Jenkins’ office asking for the tapes’ release.

“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,” Walton stated ahead of Tuesday’s board meeting. “I also know that videos are released all the time during investigations and in some cases even required. We are asking for transparency around the killing of Banko Brown and release of this video will most certainly help with that transparency.

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