D.A. Jenkins dismisses charges against officer who shot, wounded 2019 burglary suspect
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has dropped the charges against an officer who shot and seriously wounded a Mission District burglary suspect in 2019, according to the officer's attorney.
Nicole Pifari, who represents Officer Christopher Flores, said in a news release Friday that Jenkins dropped all criminal charges against her client.
"We are thrilled about the dismissal of the case, but still extremely disturbed that then-District Attorney Chesa Boudin brought charges in the first place," Pifari said.
Jenkins, who replaced Boudin after his 2022 recall election, signaled her intention to dismiss the charges on May 11, saying at the time "we can not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Flores did not act in reasonable self-defense."
She also said the grand jury that indicted Flores wasn't shown evidence backing up his claim of self-defense and that his prosecution was for "political gain."
Jamaica Hampton
"Pursuing prosecutions based on what is perceived to be good politics flies in the face of the ethics and responsibilities we have as prosecutors," Jenkins said.
The case stems from a 911 call on Dec. 7, 2019 from a resident in the 900 block of Capp Street who said someone was trying to break into their front door a little before 8 a.m., according to San Francisco police.
Flores, a new officer still in field training, and his training officer, Officer Sterling Hayes, were sent to investigate.
About a half-hour later, they found the suspect, Jamaica Hampton, then 24, near Mission and 23rd streets.
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Police say Hampton attacked Hayes with an empty glass bottle as the officer was getting out of the patrol car and then also allegedly attacked Flores as well, hitting him in the head and face.
The officers ordered Hampton to get on the ground, but Hampton at some point paused and then turned toward the officers, according to police.
Although Hayes used his pepper spray, it appeared ineffective, police said.
Hayes fired six rounds at Hampton and when he appeared to get up, Flores then fired once, police said.
Flores was briefly hospitalized with cuts to his face and head and Hampton was treated for life-threatening gunshot wounds and, according to a GoFundMe page managed by the Do No Harm Coalition, he eventually underwent an above-the-knee leg amputation and suffered severe nerve damage.
About a year later, after a grand jury indicted both men, Boudin charged Flores with negligent discharge of a firearm and assault by a public officer.
Hampton was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, assault on a peace officer with force likely to cause great bodily injury, threatening an officer and vandalism, although his charges were also later dismissed.
Hampton was the second San Francisco police officer to be charged by Boudin for actions performed while on duty.
The first, former rookie officer Christopher Samayoa, whose charges were dropped in March, was facing a trial for manslaughter and other allegations for shooting and killing a carjacking suspect, Keita O'Neil, after a high-speed chase in 2017.
Jenkins had asked California Attorney General Rob Bonta to review her decision to drop Samayoa's charges and on Thursday he declined to pursue the case, effectively ending Samayoa's prosecution.
"The available evidence shows that the charges against Officer Samayoa cannot be proved beyond a reasonable doubt," Bonta wrote in a letter to Jenkins announcing his decision.
"Therefore, your decision to dismiss the charges against Officer Samayoa was not an abuse of discretion. Accordingly, we decline to take over the prosecution of this matter," Bonta wrote.
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