Yesterday (May 15), the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office released graphic surveillance video showing a deadly incident at a local Walgreens. In the April 27 footage, an alleged shoplifter was attempting to exit the drugstore when he was beaten, put into a chokehold, and ultimately shot to death by a security guard.
The victim has been identified as 24-year-old Banko Brown. Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony, 33, is the on-duty and lawfully armed security guard, according to ABC News. As Brown tried to leave the downtown Walgreens, Anthony blocked the doors. The video does not contain audio but shows Anthony striking the young man several times before they both end up on the ground. Brown reached for his bag but was grabbed by the guard and placed in a chokehold as multiple shoppers were seen coming and going.
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
Eventually, Anthony turned Brown loose and as the 24-year-old retreated, the two appeared to exchange words and the alleged shoplifter lunged at the guard. Anthony drew his weapon and fired one shot into the victim’s chest. Brown fell onto the ground just outside the Walgreens and was transported to San Francisco General Hospital where he died. Police questioned the guard, who claimed he demanded Brown “put the items back” but he “refused” and became “aggressive.” Anthony also said Brown was armed with a knife and tried to spit on him. No knife was recovered. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said she will not press charges against Anthony.
Today (May 16), a Walgreens spokesperson told ABC News: “We are offering condolences to the victim’s family during this difficult time. The safety of our patients, customers and team members is our top priority, and violence of any kind will not be tolerated in our stores.” Brown, a trans man who reportedly struggled with homelessness, was remembered by members of a San Francisco-based nonprofit he worked at. “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, the Young Women’s Freedom Center co-executive director, said in a statement yesterday.