District Attorney wants to drop case against ex-San Leandro cop in deadly shooting

DA wants to drop case against ex-San Leandro cop who shot and killed man at Walmart

The Alameda County District Attorney said she can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that then-Oakland Police Department officer Jason Fletcher committed a crime when he shot and killed Steven Taylor at a Walmart in 2020. The news was met by heavy protests.

SAN LEANDRO, Calif. - Family and supporters rallied outside the Alameda County courthouse on Wednesday, angry that prosecutors want to drop a manslaughter case against a former San Leandro police officer who shot and killed Steven Taylor at Walmart in 2020.

DA wants to throw out case against former San Leandro officer

What they're saying:

District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson says she can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that then-Officer Jason Fletcher had committed a crime. The prosecutor said two experts consulted by former DA Pamela Price's office believed the officer had acted in self-defense. 

"It is egregious. It is vile. It is vicious. It is disgusting," said Cat Brooks of the Anti Police-Terror Project, noting this could become the latest police-misconduct case thrown out by Jones Dickson in the wake of Price's recall.

"We're also here to put Ursula on notice, this is not the end of the conversation. Not by a long shot," Brooks said.

The DA's office said Wednesday that it could not comment on an active case pending in court.

The case was originally filed by Price's predecessor, former District Attorney Nancy O'Malley, who said Fletcher failed to de-escalate the situation and shot and killed Taylor just 40 seconds after arriving at the store. Taylor was armed with a bat and was suffering a mental-health crisis.

Price inherited the case, but she was kicked off because of alleged bias, and the case went to Attorney General Rob Bonta's office. After Price was recalled, Jones Dickson became DA and the case was sent back to her. 

Taylor's grandmother Addie Kitchen said the case should go to trial.

"We're here today to say DA Dickson, we're not just going to lay down and be quiet. We are going to continue to fight you," Kitchen said.

Civil rights attorney Adante Pointer said, "Our community cannot remain silent, when the person who pledged to us, pledged to our representatives, that they would center victims of violence, is now looking to kick us off the stage."

Attorney for ex-officer says case is political

The other side:

But Mike Rains, attorney for the former officer, says Price hid opinions from experts that didn't support his client's conviction. Rains said O'Malley should never have filed the charges in the first place.

"She filed it for political reasons, and ever since then, Jason Fletcher has been a political football for the DA's office, until now," Rains said.

Taylor's family and supporters plan to pack the courtroom on Friday, when Judge Clifford Blakely considers the DA's motion to dismiss the case. 

Another judge, Thomas Reardon had previously allowed the case to move forward. Reardon had told the parties involved to appear before Blakely on Friday, according to Rains.

Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan