by Vanguard Staff
SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco prosecutors dismissed all charges this week against Bradford Lasalle, an unhoused man who defended himself against an inebriated security guard who challenged him to a fight in November 2024.
Prior to the dismissals, the District Attorney’s Office had charged Lasalle with attempted murder and mayhem. After a preliminary hearing, prosecutors added an aggravated charge that could have carried a life sentence, despite no new evidence. Deputy Public Defender Tal Klement, who represented Lasalle, said the charges were excessive and urged the court to dismiss the case based on self-defense and the security guard’s dishonesty in reporting the incident. Prosecutors dropped all charges on Monday.
“Mr. Lasalle was clearly defending himself against the aggressor who was trying to cover his own tracks,” Klement said. He noted that when police arrived, the security guard mentioned that he was related to two former San Francisco Police Department officers. “Police investigators never challenged the holes in the security guard’s story and basically treated him with kid gloves. Yet, when police later arrested Mr. Lasalle, they made no attempt to interview him before booking him on felony charges.”
According to preliminary hearing testimony, the security guard admitted that on the night of Nov. 28, 2024, he had been drinking while on duty at the tech company Okta on First Street. He said he was allowed to drink the alcohol that Okta provided to employees on-site and claimed he only had one-quarter of a beer. However, a hospital test following the incident showed his blood alcohol content was nearly double the legal driving limit.
Body-worn camera footage captured the security guard telling police he had pulled a knife on Lasalle, but he later changed his story and said the knife fell out of his pocket. Surveillance video from the scene shows the security guard throwing the first punch and depicts a struggle over the knife. Both men sustained stab wounds.
Prosecutors attempted to pressure Lasalle into two separate plea deals on felony charges, including an earlier offer that would have resulted in a strike. Lasalle rejected both offers, and the defense demanded a trial. Just days before the trial was set to begin, prosecutors dismissed the case entirely. Lasalle was released after spending three months in jail.
“This scenario, where prosecutors dramatically overcharge cases but dismiss charges just before trial, demonstrates how the D.A.’s office regularly charges cases based on evidence that won’t hold up to a jury’s scrutiny,” San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju said. “It also shows how important it is to push back on such cases, and how public defenders are critical to preserving fairness in our city’s courts.”
The defense team was led by Deputy Public Defender Tal Klement, with support from the Public Defender Investigation and Paralegal Units.
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