How the shooting of a transgender candy thief by a Walgreens security guard became the center of the dispute over California’s attempts to crack down on shoplifting

At the center of a dispute over whether shoplifting should be punished more harshly is the case of a Walgreens security guard who sparked outrage last year by shooting a transgender thief who was caught stealing candy.

Private security guard Michael Anthony, 33, shot 24-year-old Banko Brown with a Glock 40 caliber on April 27 last year after allegedly seeing him take something from a shelf and stuff it into his pocket.

The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office released disturbing surveillance camera footage of the tragic incident, sparking anger among local residents.

The video shows Brown, a homeless transgender man, walking toward the exit of a Walgreens store in San Francisco wearing a white T-shirt and gray sweatpants.

Anthony seems to stop him, and a fight suddenly breaks out between the two.

Private security guard Michael Anthony, 33, shot 24-year-old Banko Brown with a Glock -40 caliber on April 27 last year after he allegedly saw him take something from a shelf and stuff it into his pocket. In this security camera video, Anthony can be seen restraining Brown.

Disturbing video footage from the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office showed the tragic incident unfolding and sparked anger among the local community.

The two men begin to punch each other before Anthony wrestles Brown to the ground and continues to brutally beat him.

The security guard manages to detain Brown and the altercation appears to calm down as the suspected thief has been arrested.

But even though Brown is being held, the security guard lets him go.

The 24-year-old then tries to end the incident, but the argument continues.

The security guard is seen pulling a gun from his pants and, as Brown stands directly in front of the exit, Anthony fires a single shot into Brown’s chest.

As the video shows, he immediately collapsed outside on the street.

Brown, a part-time trans activist who lived between shared housing and homeless shelters, was found to have stolen $14.64 worth of candy.

After the incident, Anthony was initially arrested by police in San Francisco.

During questioning, the security guard, Brown, who identified himself as a man, repeatedly misgendered him and told police he had threatened to stab him.

However, none of the witnesses said they heard Brown threatening Anthony, and police did not find a knife at the scene.

The incident – in which a homeless black transgender man was shot for candy and a company relied on temporary workers to combat a shoplifting epidemic – raised a number of emotional issues, including race, gender and class, and is at the center of an ongoing debate, according to the Wall Street Journal.

CCTV footage shows the moment before Anthony shot Brown through the entrance to the Walgreens store last year

Anthony was released without charge a few days after the shooting. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the security guard “clearly” acted “in self-defense.”

According to a report obtained by the Chronicle, the district attorney alleged that Brown “turned a simple theft into a robbery when he used physical force to take property without paying.”

Brown’s father, Terry, was angry about the decision not to charge his son’s killer.

“If you say someone is going to stab you and you let him go and you’re a security guard and you just beat the crap out of him [Brown]he said, according to WSJ. “That must make sense to me.”

Many in the community share Terry Brown’s anger, but Jenkins and other local authorities are also under pressure to punish shoplifters amid the California city’s growing theft crisis.

Several major chains have announced that they will close their stores in San Francisco due to rising crime rates.

Jamie Nordstrom, Nordstrom’s store manager, blamed the state of San Francisco for the decline in customer traffic in recent years “and our ability to operate successfully.”

The remaining stores, like Target, are forced to lock their entire inventory behind glass to deter shoplifters.

Banko Brown (pictured) was killed by Anthony, but the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office refused to press charges against the security guard – sparking anger in the community

Brown’s death sparked outrage throughout the Bay Area, but despite many calls to charge Anthony, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ office said Monday they would not charge him.

But the district attorney’s decision not to file charges against Anthony sparked widespread protests and a heated debate about how to address the issue of shoplifting at a time when many Americans are struggling to make ends meet.

Out of desperation, many resort to petty crime.

Friends and family of Brown said Jenkins’ decision sets a “dangerous precedent.” They say other security guards may also resort to drastic measures as their employers stress the need to crack down on shoplifters.

In April, transgender activists gathered outside City Hall following the death of Banko Brown and demanded “Justice for Banko Brown.”

Meanwhile, a statement from the Young Women’s Freedom Center, where Brown volunteered, said that “in a city like San Francisco, where so many people have to make difficult choices to meet their basic needs, allowing stores to use gun violence will lead to even greater tragedies.”

In addition, civil rights attorney John Burris filed a $250 million wrongful death lawsuit against Walgreens and Anthony on behalf of Brown’s heartbroken family.

The anger and pain surrounding Brown’s still lingers among many. Voters in California now have the opportunity to vote for or against a ballot initiative that would increase penalties for shoplifting.

Photos from the Justice for Banko rally posted on the Young Women’s Freedom Center Facebook page. Photos posted April 4, 2023

According to the gov.ca website, the measure is intended to “put an end to serial shoplifters” by imposing penalties on repeat offenders who are convicted of petty theft three times within a three-year period. It will also establish a “theft total” that will allow law enforcement to add together the value of multiple thefts – even from different victims – to charge one crime.

Governor Gavin Newsom commented on the vote: “With targeted reforms to House Bill 47, this ballot proposal represents a critical step forward in our efforts to strengthen California’s public safety laws and give law enforcement additional tools to address growing concerns about property crime and the fentanyl crisis.”

“This balanced approach gets tough on crime and protects our communities – without resorting to the ineffective and costly measures of the past.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, the reforms are supported by San Francisco’s Democratic mayor, London Breed, as well as the retail sector.

Others, however, are not convinced by the proposal. Critics say it does little to address the problems facing millions of people in California and, in fact, will increase the prison population – costing the state more money that could otherwise go toward mental health and drug treatment.