A police officer dealing with manslaughter expenses within the capturing dying of a Black man inside a San Francisco Bay Space Walmart retailer was handcuffed and brought to jail following a court docket look Tuesday
DUBLIN, Calif. — A police officer dealing with manslaughter expenses within the capturing dying of a Black man inside a San Francisco Bay Space Walmart retailer was handcuffed and brought to jail following a court docket look Tuesday.
Choose Barbara Dickinson denied a protection legal professional request to permit San Leandro Police Officer Jason Fletcher to instantly publish $200,000 bail, saying it was not the court docket’s apply to permit that. She mentioned Fletcher can publish bail earlier than his subsequent listening to later this month. He had not been in custody till the court docket continuing.
Fletcher is charged within the April 18 killing of Steven Taylor. He was the primary officer the reply to a name about an alleged shoplifter inside the shop who was holding a baseball bat. Taylor, 33, had allegedly grabbed the aluminum bat and a tent earlier than making an attempt to depart with out paying, in accordance with court docket paperwork.
Fletcher, a 20-year veteran, didn’t anticipate backup and as a substitute approached the 33-year-old Taylor and tried to seize the bat, whereas Fletcher additionally pulled out his gun, Alameda County prosecutors mentioned. When Taylor pulled away, Fletcher then drew his taser and fired twice. As Taylor was struggling to stay standing, Fletcher shot Taylor within the chest, killing him.
Fletcher, 49, appeared in court docket in a darkish grey swimsuit and black face masks along with his legal professional, Michael Rains, the East Bay Instances reported.
Supporters of Taylor held a protest towards Fletcher exterior the court docket Tuesday.
At a Monday night time protest, phrases projected onto the entrance of the San Leandro Police Station headquarters learn “Convict Officer Fletcher” and “#Justice4StevenTaylor.”
The San Leandro Police Officers’ Affiliation supplied condolences to Taylor’s household in an announcement launched Monday, and mentioned the fees have been politically motivated.
“Whereas the District Legal professional has mischaracterized the capturing as a ‘failure to aim de-escalation choices,’ we’re assured that the proof will set up that this incident was an unlucky instance of de-escalation strategies merely proving to be ineffective,” the affiliation assertion learn.
Fletcher is the primary regulation enforcement officer within the Bay Space to face expenses within the dying of a civilian in additional than a decade — the final was BART Officer Johannes Mehserle, who shot and killed Oscar Grant on New Yr’s Day 2009.
