A shoplifter sprayed a fire extinguisher inside a SoMa Trader Joe’s late Thursday afternoon, according to staff.

An aisle containing beer, chips and dog treats was blocked off by shopping carts and tables on Thursday and Friday.

“Please do not enter—fire extinguisher discharged and we need to dispose of the product,” read a sign placed at the end of the aisle Friday.

Staff were seen throwing dozens of garbage bags full of food into the back of a truck parked outside the store on Friday afternoon.

Grocery store workers said a man attempted to shoplift before being caught in the act, and he then sprayed the fire extinguisher inside the store, contaminating products.

READ MORE: Trader Joe’s Names Its Best Products of 2023. Five Longtime Faves Left the List

Workers throw out dozens of garbage bags filled with food contaminated by a fire extinguisher. | Garrett Leahy/The Standard

Police said officer responded to Ninth Street between Bryant and Brannan streets for a report of vandalism Thursday at around 5:50 p.m. Officers met with an employee who said a man entered the store, grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed it inside.

The suspect fled the scene before police arrived. No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made, police said.

Trader Joe’s staff declined to provide further details of the incident or the amount of food lost. Trader Joe’s corporate office did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.

The incident at the SoMa Trader Joe’s comes as a new Porsche dealership nearby was vandalized just days before it was set to open.

On May 24, Cole Hardware announced on it would shutter its SoMa store at at 345 Ninth St. just a few blocks away from the new luxury dealership. The company’s CFO blamed a declining customer base and concerns over security, after a 25% off closing-down sale.

In February, Samy’s Camera on the corner of Ninth and Bryant streets also closed its doors. Ace Plumbing and Rooter Inc. now occupies Samy’s former location.

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Courtesy Attorney John Burris

Banko Brown was fatally shot by a man who never identified himself as a security guard, a lawyer for the Brown family says.

CNN
 — 

The security guard who fatally shot Banko Brown, a transgender man who was suspected of shoplifting from a San Francisco Walgreens in April, must pay $1,500 in fines for code violations, says the agency that regulates security services in California.

Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony is being fined for carrying a concealed firearm and for uniform violations, according to a citation order from California’s Bureau of Security and Investigative Services.

The notice, issued by Deputy Chief Samuel Stodolski, says Anthony did not have a concealed weapons permit at the time of the shooting but was carrying a gun in a zippered pouch on the tactical vest he was wearing on April 27.

The citation order says Anthony was wearing a sweatshirt without “bureau-approved patches on each shoulder,” which should have said “private security” and the name of his employer, when he was on duty at a downtown Walgreens.

“(That) may be the reason (Brown) was trying to get away or resist as much as he can,” Brown family lawyer John Burris said during a phone call to CNN on Friday. “Nowhere did he (Anthony) say that ‘I’m a security guard.’”

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins declined to file criminal charges against Anthony, saying he acted in self-defense. In May, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office would investigate that decision.

According to a report released in May, the security guard told investigators Brown repeatedly threatened to stab him.

Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle/AP

Asia Hubbard, ex-girlfriend of Banko Brown, speaks outside City Hall, Monday, May 15, 2023, after a march from the Market Street Walgreens in San Francisco, following District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ decision not to prosecute security guard, Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony, for confronting and killing Brown, who was suspected of shoplifting inside the store. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

San Francisco security guard will not be charged in fatal shooting of suspected Walgreens shoplifter

Surveillance camera video also released in May shows the moment when Anthony attempts to stop Brown from leaving the store before Brown shoves him. A physical altercation ensues, the footage shows, where Anthony holds Brown on the ground and then releases him after about a minute. Brown begins to leave before turning around and moving toward Anthony, who shoots him.

Anthony must pay the $1,500 total for three fines within 30 days of the citation, which was issued on Monday, or he could face “disciplinary action” by the bureau. He can contest the decision with the disciplinary review committee, the citation order says.

Anthony has not responded to requests for comment from CNN.

The security company that employed Anthony, Kingdom Group Protective Services, also faces a $5,000 fine from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services for failing to submit an incident report within seven days of the shooting, as well as failing to “maintain an accurate and current record of the proof of completion of the trainings” for Anthony.

The security company was also given 30 days from the citation date, July 13, to pay its fine. The company has not returned CNN’s request for comment.

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A shoplifter sprayed a fire extinguisher at a SoMa Trader Joe’s late Thursday afternoon, according to staff.

An aisle of beer, chips and dog treats was blocked by shopping carts and tables on Thursday and Friday.

“Please do not enter the store – the fire extinguisher is unloaded and we have to dispose of the product,” read a sign at the end of the aisle on Friday.

Employees were seen throwing dozens of garbage bags full of groceries into the back of a truck parked outside the store on Friday afternoon.

Grocery store workers said a man tried to steal a store before he was caught red-handed and then sprayed the fire extinguisher inside the store, contaminating the produce.

CONTINUE READING: Trader Joe’s announces its best products of 2023. Five longtime favorites have left the list

Workers throw away dozens of garbage bags filled with food contaminated by a fire extinguisher. | Garrett Leahy/The Standard

Police said an officer responded to a report of vandalism around 5:50 p.m. Thursday on Ninth Street between Bryant and Brannan streets. Officers met with an employee who said a man entered the store, grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed it inside.

The suspect fled the scene before police arrived. No injuries were reported and no arrests were made, police said.

Trader Joe’s staff declined to give further details about the incident or the amount of food lost. Trader Joe’s corporate headquarters were not responding to requests for comment at the time of publication.

The SoMa Trader Joe’s incident came when a new nearby Porsche dealership was vandalized just days before it opened.

On May 24, Cole Hardware announced it was closing its SoMa store at 345 Ninth St., just blocks from the new luxury retailer. The company’s CFO blamed a dwindling customer base and safety concerns after sales were reduced by 25%.

Samy’s Camera on the corner of Ninth Street and Bryant Street also closed its doors in February. Ace Plumbing and Rooter Inc. is now located at the former location of Samy.

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CNN
—

The security guard who shot dead a suspected shoplifter at a Walgreens in downtown San Francisco last month will not be prosecuted, prosecutors said Monday, saying the gunman acted in self-defense.

Brooke Jenkins prosecutors on Monday released surveillance video and a written report of Michael Anthony’s April 27 fatal shooting of Banko Brown.

According to the report, the guard said Brown repeatedly threatened to stab him before the shooting. The report stated that police did not find a knife in Brown’s possession, but prosecutors nevertheless concluded that his fears were valid.

“Given the totality of the circumstances, including the threat, which Anthony believed and could reasonably believe, the evidence shows that Brown’s shooting was not a criminal act as Anthony acted in lawful self-defense,” the report reads. “Anthony is therefore not criminally responsible for Brown’s death.”

However, Brown’s family attorney, John Burris, told CNN’s Sara Sidner that the security guard’s actions “went far beyond what was reasonable and necessary.”

“Stopping someone and talking to them is different than stopping them, beating them up and eventually killing them,” Burris said Tuesday

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors last week sent a letter asking District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to release surveillance video showing the shooting after no charges were filed against the guard during the 72 hours he was in custody.

Courtesy of attorney John Burris

Banko Brown was fatally shot by a security guard at a Walgreens store in San Francisco on April 27.

Surveillance camera video released Monday shows Brown attempting to exit the store before being stopped by a security guard, identified by police as Anthony. Brown then shoves the guard, leading to a physical altercation.

Brown is pinned to the ground by the guard but released after about a minute, video shows. Brown is about to leave but appears to turn and walk toward the security guard, who then shoots him, video shows.

The murder and lack of charges have sparked protests in San Francisco linked to broader debates about crime, poverty, homelessness and criminal justice in the Northern California city.

San Francisco has seen a significant exodus of middle-class residents since the Covid-19 pandemic, and a spate of brazen property crimes and rampant public drug use have created a sense of disorder, as CNN reports in the current special, What About San happened?” did Francisco investigate?”

One such incident was a 2021 day theft at a Walgreens store that was caught on video, in which a suspect casually snatched items off shelves, tossed them into a black bag and exited the store, pointing at the store’s security guard and several onlookers passed. Walgreens said at the time this “blatant retail theft” was an ongoing problem at its stores, although a company executive said earlier this year “maybe we cried too much” over the issue.

As part of the backlash, progressive prosecutor Chesa Boudin was removed from office last year by a 55% majority. Jenkins was named to succeed him and vowed to “restore accountability and consequence to our criminal justice system,” saying this is the moment to “take back our streets.”

San Francisco District Attorney’s Office

Surveillance camera video shows part of the encounter between Banko Brown (left) and security guard Michael Anthony before Anthony fatally shot Banko.

In his videotaped interview with police, the guard said Brown repeatedly threatened to stab him during the fight.

“I felt like I was in danger. I felt like I was about to be stabbed,” Anthony said.

According to the district attorney’s report, Brown was a transgender man. Anthony went on to describe his state of mind at the moment Brown approached him, using incorrect pronouns.

“And I didn’t know what she was up to, but, uh… turns out her intention was to… try to spit on me, and by that reaction of turning around and coming towards me… that’s when I raised it.” high (movements). with your hands) and then shot once.”

The district attorney’s report states that self-defense applies when a person has a reasonable belief that they are in imminent danger of being killed or seriously injured.

“There is no evidence that Anthony’s fear was genuine,” the report said.

However, Burris, the attorney for Brown’s family, said he would soon be filing a lawsuit in the case.

“I watched the tape and looked at it pretty closely, and I think that shooting was unjustified,” he told CNN.

“The family is very concerned that no prosecution has taken place, particularly the father and mother, and they want the matter escalated to the Attorney General’s Office for consideration.”

Aaron Peskin, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, said he is asking the Attorney General and the US Department of Justice to review the case. He told CNN affiliate KGO that the video worried him.

“There is a distance between them, Banko Brown is unarmed, Banko Brown is outside the store,” he said.

Walgreens issued a statement expressing condolences to Brown’s family.

“The safety of our patients, customers and team members is our top priority and violence of any kind will not be tolerated in our branches,” the company said. “We take the matter seriously and are cooperating with the local authorities.”

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SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco District Attorney on Monday released surveillance video showing the fatal shooting of a suspected shoplifter by an on-duty Walgreens security guard, along with other footage and documents that she says support her decision not to press charges against the guard , substantiate.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins released the information amid public outrage over the April 27 death of Banko Brown, a 24-year-old who was unarmed, outside a downtown Walgreens building. Last week, the board of directors passed a resolution asking her office and the police to release more evidence. She justified her decision not to attack security guard Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony on the grounds of self-defense.

But the release of surveillance video didn’t seem to calm critics in a city dogged by brazen shoplifting and where there is much disagreement about the appropriate response to crime, especially when the suspect is homeless or impoverished.

The silent footage shows Brown walking towards the door with a bag in hand when he is stopped by Anthony, who then hits him repeatedly. The two fight until Anthony pinches Brown to the ground. Meanwhile, shoppers continued to enter the store during the altercation.

When Anthony lets go of Brown, Brown picks up the bag and makes his way out of the store. He turns and appears to walk towards Anthony, whereupon Anthony raises his gun and fires once, causing Brown to fall back onto the ground outside.

In a police interview, Anthony said he asked Brown to return the items, but Brown was aggressive and fought to keep the items. He said he told Brown he would let him go if he calmed down, and that Brown kept saying he would stab him. A knife was not found on Brown.

Anthony said he let Brown go, but he drew his gun and kept it pointed at the ground just in case Brown charged. He said he fired as Brown advanced, unaware that Brown would simply spit at him.

San Francisco supervisor Shamann Walton said in a statement that the video offered no justification for the shooting. He plans to join Chief Executive Aaron Peskin in asking the Attorney General for an independent review of the prosecutor’s decision.

But Jenkins, who initially dropped the case on May 1, said even after seeking further evidence, there was nothing to disprove the guard’s reasonable claim of self-defense. She urged viewers to review all evidence, including witness and police accounts, particularly given the lack of sound in the video footage.

“There will be a temptation as people to just look at the video footage of this incident and nothing else. We’re used to seeing videos online and often that’s what grabs our attention rather than going a step further” , she said in a press conference.

Brown, who struggled with homelessness, worked as a community organizer for the Young Women’s Freedom Center, a nonprofit organization that supports young women and transgender youth.

“We don’t have to see the video to know that the killing of Banko Brown was unjust. “Armed violence is not a justifiable response to poverty,” Julia Arroyo, the center’s co-executive director, said in a statement Monday. “We have to live with the sobering reality that he was killed for no reason other than $14.”

Arroyo described Brown as a bright and funny young man who was shy but made friends easily.

Supervisor Dean Preston introduced legislation last week banning private security guards from drawing their firearms unless there is an actual and specific threat to an individual.

Walgreens did not immediately respond to an email asking for comment. Walgreens, Target and other downtown retailers have complained of brazen shoplifting. Whole Foods recently announced it would temporarily close a downtown location, citing employee safety.

Kingdom Group Protective Services, which provides security for Walgreens, said in a statement it was cooperating with law enforcement and could not comment further.

State records show that Anthony has been licensed as a security guard since 2012.

Jenkins became district attorney last year after voters ousted her predecessor Chesa Boudin over criticism that he was too soft on crime. She promised to be a fair but tough prosecutor who would not ignore blatant retail thefts and open-air drug dealing.

___

Los Angeles Associated Press reporter Christopher Weber contributed.

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A San Francisco shoplifter was filmed filling a bag with stolen goods behind the counter of a Walgreens store as staff stood helplessly and watched.

The heist took place on Tuesday at a Walgreens in the Richmond area of ​​the city, and saw the brazen shoplifter hurl bananas and cookies at one man who confronted him.

It is the latest in a long line of shocking shoplifting outrages to hit the famously-liberal Bay Area.

San Francisco and its Bay Area neighbors have been hit hard by a wave of property crimes and smash-and-grab robberies since the start of the pandemic. That has forced multiple branches of Walgreens to close in a bid to stem their theft-related losses amid mounting criticism of soft-on-crime DAs many say are enabling the widespread criminality.

Cellphone video captured by professional photographer Nicholas Stennet shows a man dressed in all black removing items from shelves behind the counter of the San Francisco drug store with utter disregard for two store workers standing right next to him.

One of the employees is on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, reporting a robbery in progress.

At the beginning of the clip, the brazen shoplifter can be seen behind the counter stuffing some of the Walgreens’ most valuable items into a huge bag, while helpless staff look on

Moments later, he was confronted by a male shopper, pictured left, but didn’t take kindly to the check on his behavior…

‘We have this person that is… taking everything from the counter,’ the woman says. ‘Can you send the cops? Can you send them right away, please?’

The looter, meanwhile, calmly moves to a different section of the counter and continues to fill a plastic bag with a variety of goods, including COVID tests, batteries and electronics, according to one eyewitness.

After ransacking the shelves to his heart’s content, the criminal emerges from behind the counter and makes it for the exit.

When a bystander makes an attempt to stand up to him, the audacious bandit grabs a bunch of bananas from a basket and forcefully hurls them at the man, who picks up some of the fruit and lobs them back at the attacker.

…and ended up hurling bananas at the would-be Good Samaritan, who then responded in kind

The shoplifter was evidently annoyed by the have-a-go hero’s decision to stand up to him, and returned to hurl nuts and candy at the unfortunate man

Visibly annoyed by such a hostile reception, the shoplifter grabs packets of chips Ahoy! from a nearby shelf and pelts the Good Samaritan with them, before storming out of he store and triggering the alarm on his way out.

Drug store chains like Walgreens and CVS have become attractive and easy targets for shoplifters, leading to numerous store closures in the Bay Area. In the area’s largest city, San Francisco, low-level offenses, such as retail thefts, have been effectively de-criminalized under the leadership of progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin.

Boudin, who in a recent interview with the New York Times argued that tough-on-crime policies do not work and blamed the police for the San Francisco’s soaring crime rates, is facing a recall vote on June 7.

Liberal San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin, whose soft-on-crime policies have been blamed for San Francisco’s soaring crime rates, is facing a recall vote in June

Roving gangs of criminals have been carrying out brazen smash-and-grab robberies, targeting high-end stores like Louis Vuitton and Burberry, but also national chains like Walgreens and CVS.

Walgreens said last year that retail theft in San Francisco was five times the chain average and security costs were 46 times the chain average, reported San Francisco Chronicle.

According to the latest available crime data, grand larceny rates in California’s liberal bastion were up 19 per cent in late February, compared with the same period last year.

California Gov Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has vowed to crack down on gangs of retail thieves, despite a controversial 2014 law – Proposition 47 – that barred prosecutors from charging suspected shoplifters accused of stealing less than $950 worth of merchandise with felonies.

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