The release of a surveillance video showing the fatal shooting of a suspected shoplifter by a Walgreens security guard last month has sparked public outrage in San Francisco. The CCTV footage from inside the store shows that security guard Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony punched the transgender man named Banko Brown, 24, repeatedly before pinning him to the ground and placing him in a chokehold.
It’s believed Brown, who had struggled with homelessness, had allegedly stolen $14 worth of items. When Brown eventually managed to get back on his feet, he grabbed his bag and headed outside the store before appearing to make a move on Anthony. At that moment, the guard raised his gun and shot him once, sending the victim to fall straight to the ground.
Despite the release of the video, however, some city officials and activists continue to express skepticism over the prosecutor’s decision not to charge the guard, who cited self-defense. The incident has led to protests and calls for justice for Brown’s family. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has since defended her decision not to prosecute the guard because of Anthony’s claim of self-defense in a violent encounter that began over suspected shoplifting. However, friends and supporters of Brown have challenged this claim and organized protests, casting doubt on the guard’s actions.
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
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In a statement by the Young Women’s Freedom Center, where Brown was said to have been a volunteer organizer, they said. “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. We must live with the sobering reality that he was killed for no other cause but $14.” The footage has also raised questions about Walgreens’ policies on security personnel and their use of force.
The incident sheds light on broader issues around the use of force by private security companies and how they operate in public spaces. It has sparked a debate about whether such companies should have access to lethal weapons and how they should be regulated. Furthermore, it raises questions about the unequal treatment of people of color and gender by security personnel and law enforcement officers.
Protesters marched down San Francisco’s Market Street Monday evening demanding justice for Banko Brown who was fatally shot by a security guard at Walgreens last month. The DA announced earlier in the day she would not be filing charges against the guard. https://t.co/7K54TMc2Ui pic.twitter.com/G04hQaRqHi
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) May 16, 2023
The Brown family plans to sue Anthony and Walgreens, and the incident is likely to continue to be a focal point for public debate in San Francisco and beyond.
“In a city like San Francisco, where so many have to make tough decisions to meet their basic needs, arming stores with the pass to use armed force will result in much more tragedy,” a statement by Young Women’s Freedom Center continued.