OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — A judge in Alameda County has just dismissed the manslaughter case against a former San Leandro police officer who killed a man inside a Walmart.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office said it did meet with the family of Steven Taylor about the decision.
“This moment is one of the most solemn and difficult of my career. I know it is infinitely so much more for the family and loved ones of Steven Taylor,” said Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson. “As tempting as it may be to seek an outcome that might ease the grief of a family, I will not put my finger on the scales of justice to engineer an unjust result.”
Jones Dickson and her office say after a tedious review of the evidence, they believe the case should have been dismissed.
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In court, the assistant DA said their office didn’t meet the burden of proof to prosecute the case against former San Leandro police officer Jason Fletcher. The office also claims that Steven Taylor was dangerous and posed a threat to both Walmart staff as well as shoppers. The DA’s office also said they took no pleasure in seeing this dismissal. But, again, they feel they just could not meet the burden of proof to have it prosecuted.
The family of Taylor strongly disagrees with that. They believe he was suffering from a mental health crisis and that he was not a threat at the time he was shot. They wanted this case to go to trial in front of a jury.
A judge had already denied two previous motions to dismiss the case.
During court, we heard statements from Taylor’s grandmother, as well as his mother. They said they were blindsided by the DA’s decision to seek a dismissal from the case, and after over five years they want justice for their loved one.
RELATED: Judge denies motion to dismiss trial against ex-San Leandro officer who fatally shot Steven Taylor
“We knew this was gonna happen. This was her way of telling Judge Reardon and the family, ‘Screw you. I’m the district attorney. I’m running this show, and if you don’t like it, too bad,'” said Addie Kitchen, Taylor’s grandmother. “And what Mr. Rein said about Steven, we knew Steven had mental issues. We cared about him. We still care about him.”
Taylor’s family said they don’t know what the next steps are but will explore them with their lawyers. They do say, though, they would like it to be looked at by the attorney general’s office.
In a statement, the San Leandro Police Officers’ Association said:
The San Leandro Police Officers’ Association (SLPOA) is grateful for today’s decision by Judge Clifford Blakely to dismiss the manslaughter case against retired Officer Jason Fletcher.
From the beginning, the Association has maintained confidence that the facts and the law would ultimately vindicate Officer Fletcher.
We recognize that this has been a long and difficult process for him, his family, and everyone involved. Today’s decision brings long-awaited closure and relief to those who have stood by him during these challenging years.
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