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Surveillance footage capturing Banko Brown being fatally shot by a Walgreens security guard has been released by the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. 24-year-old Banko was shot down on April 27, 2023, while he was leaving the store. The footage further captured the security guard tackling and punching him.
Trigger warning: The article contains references to gun violence. Readers' discretion is advised.
The guard has been identified as Earl-Wayne Anthony. He was captured blocking Banko Brown, a budding community organizer, while he tried to leave the store on the day of the shooting.
As per the San Francisco Chronicle, no charges will be filed against Anthony. According to District Attorney Brook Jenkins, Anthony shot Banko in self-defense, after the latter used apparent physical force and threats of violence toward the former.
After this news made headlines, Jenkins was under a lot of pressure from the public, who wanted the surveillance footage of the deadly encounter to be released.
Community organizer Banko Brown was accused of shoplifting by Walgreens' security guard
Brown was allegedly homeless at the time of his death. He, however, worked as a community organizer for a nonprofit organization named Young Women's Freedom Center. The center's co-executive director, Julia Arroyo described Banko Brown as being a funny and smart young man.
As per The Guardian, Arroyo further issued a statement on Monday, saying:
“We do not need to see the video to know that 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.”
For the unversed, the tragic shooting took place on April 27, 2023, after Walgreens security guard, Earl-Wayne Anthony accused 24-year-old Banko Brown of shoplifting. Footage has recently been released, which captured Brown attempting to leave the store with a bag in his hand, shortly before he was blocked by Anthony.
Soon, a scuffle took place between the two men, where Anthony was seen punching Banko Brown repeatedly before pinning him to the ground. Meanwhile, other customers were seen entering the outlet during the altercation. Anthony was then seen letting Banko Brown go. Brown moved to the exit door, turned around, and seemed to move toward Anthony. That was when the guard opened fire at him and shot him once.
San Francisco Police took Anthony into custody and during the arrest, the police chief said:
“You have to use force appropriately within the law.”
During a police interview, Anthony claimed that he asked Banko to drop the items, but the latter became aggressive. Anthony also claimed that he would have let Banko Brown go if he calmed down and stated that he also threatened to stab the guard. However, no knife was found on Banko.
Anthony further continued by saying that he let Banko Brown go and pointed the gun at the floor so that he could use it if Brown attacked him. When Brown then approached him, he shot him in self-defense.
According to San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton, the surveillance footage does not justify the horrific shooting that killed the budding community organizer. However, Jenkins who stated that no charges will be filed against the guard on May 1, believed that even after more evidence was sought, nothing could rebut the guard's claim of self-defense.
In a news conference, Walton said:
“There will be a temptation, as human beings, to only view the video footage of this incident and nothing else. We are accustomed to seeing videos online, and that often is what captures our attention rather than going the extra step to look deeper.”
District Attorney Brook Jenkins believed that there is no evidence to rebut Anthony's claim of self-defense
According to prosecutors, Brown intended to fight and was alleged to be aggressive. They further stated that Anthony claimed that he was afraid of letting Banko go.
They additionally said:
“He was in fear that once he released Brown, Brown would try to attack him, but this time with a weapon.”
According to the DA's report, a witness allegedly heard Anthony say "dammit" after he fatally shot Brown. The witness also reportedly heard Brown speak after getting hit by the bullet.
He said:
“Sorry man, that shouldn’t have happened.”
As per The Guardian, the district attorney further claimed that Brown was "lunging" at Anthony the moment he was shot, thus justifying "a reasonable, though in hindsight mistaken, belief that Brown posed an imminent threat of great bodily injury or death." Jenkins said that law enforcement officials recovered "products belonging to Walgreens" from Brown.
The DA stated:
“While I wish this tragedy would have never happened in the first place, it is my duty to follow the law and the evidence wherever it leads.”
According to state records, Earl-Wayne Anthony received his license to be a security guard in 2012. Kingdom Group Protective Services, the company that provides security for Walgreens confirmed that they are cooperating with the authorities and more updates on the case are currently awaited.
