On Saturday, April 18, 2020, Steven Taylor was shot and killed by San Leandro PD Officer Jason Fletcher. His grandmother, Addie Kitchen talks about his life and how it was unjustly taken by SLPD in a Walmart store while he was in the midst of a mental health crisis.
DA Nancy O'Malley, under great pressure from the community, finally announced charges against Fletcher on September 2. Her office stated: "Taylor was no threat in that position and that the officer did not attempt to use other deescalation measures."
This is the first time DA O'Malley has ever charged a police officer for killing anyone since she became Alameda County DA in 2009 !!
One in 4 people killed by law enforcement are in the middle of a mental health crisis. Law enforcement agencies are not equipped to handle these calls, they don’t have adequate training and many of them don’t want the job. These result in unnecessary deaths, trauma and pain. And those that are killed disproportionately Black.
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