Mayor and DA give O.K for open season on Black lives

by Zaire Saunders

“It’s a tragedy. We should be asking what we’re going to do about it …”

Gut-wrenching footage of Banko Brown’s murder has been released. The security footage catches a glimpse of Banko and security guard Michael Earl Wayne wrestling on the ground over groceries. After being released from Wayne’s hold, Brown rises, grabs the bag and backs out of the store. The security guard walks towards Brown, pulls out his gun and murders Brown outside the Walgreens on Market street on Sunday, April 28. 

DA Brooke Jenkins still refuses to charge Michael Earl Wayne Anthony despite him being a security with no authority to be judge, jury and execute. Mayor London Breed has decided to co-sign the decision not to charge Wayne.

“It’s a real tragedy, but at the end of the day, I think that the district attorney did everything she could to look at the evidence and make a decision based on what the evidence demonstrated,” Breed told reporters. 

Walgreens also made the choice to cut ties with the security guard company to distance themselves away from the matter as seamless as a corporation is ever willing to go. Although this does little to repair the harm, nor does it end the cycle of poverty consuming the lives of thousands in the City. 

Black people should be eyeing our leadership closely when it comes to this case. The master would throw an overseer of our kin to lead us out to the fields, our kin would raise the whip, cracking down onto us into oblivion. 

“It’s a tragedy. We should be asking what we gon’ do about it? Do we wanna keep marching or do something about it?” said a source who also asked to remain anonymous. “Security ain’t supposed to do that to anybody. They acted as if they were Superman at work.”

“Yeah, I’ll speak, just don’t put down my name. They be trippin,” an unnamed Urban Alchemy employee said, referring to the emblem on his jacket. “I think that’s not right. What you are supposed to do as security is equal or lesser force. If somebody is approaching you, it should be equal or lesser to defend yourself. Anything else is excessive force. No way anybody should be killed over something perishable – over something bought.”  

“Anytime we do something we get top persecution. That don’t sit right with me.”

Rasta, a frequenter of Downtown said, “That’s crazy right here. It sounds like a fairy tale. They took out their gun and killed because he was trying to eat. It’s racially motivated. When I went into Whole Foods, they watched me but all the other white people stole and they look the other way.”

“Anytime we do something we get top persecution. That don’t sit right with me.”

Top persecution is supported by our mayor, who only casually mentions the idea of a state or federal investigation, rather than listening to the people she claims to serve. 

 Zaire Saunders is the copy editor and reporter for the SF Bay View Community Journalism Program, which is funded by the California State Library.

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