By Journalist Malik Washington, Destination Freedom Media Group & The Davis Vanguard
On December 5, 2025, the steps of San Francisco’s Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant Street transformed into a platform for truth-telling. Community members — artists, elders, activists, scholars, and working-class residents — gathered to shine a bright light on the prosecution of filmmaker and cultural historian Kevin Epps, a case that has come to symbolize a deeper crisis within San Francisco’s justice system.
I stood among them not only as a reporter but as a witness — one who has spent several weeks documenting the troubling inconsistencies inside Department 13, as well as the broader political currents that appear to guide selective enforcement in this city. And if there is one truth that echoed through that rally, it is this: not all prosecutions are created equal. Some are pursued with ferocity, others with deliberate restraint — and the pattern is impossible to ignore.
Reverend Amos C. Brown: A Moral Compass in a Moment of Crisis
Among the most resonant voices was that of Reverend Amos C. Brown, the former President of the San Francisco NAACP and a civil rights legend whose decades of advocacy have shaped political discourse from San Francisco to South Africa. Rev. Brown challenged District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to demonstrate integrity, transparency, and consistency.
His message was clear: If justice bends differently depending on who stands accused, then justice has already failed.
A Documented Pattern: Selective Prosecution Under DA Brooke Jenkins
The prosecutorial decisions of District Attorney Brooke Jenkins do not form an accidental pattern — they form a blueprint. One that consistently protects state-aligned actors while coming down disproportionately hard on marginalized defendants, particularly Black men.
Three cases reveal this dynamic with alarming precision.
Case #1: Banco Brown — A Trans Youth Killed, No Charges Filed
In April 2023, Banco Brown, a 24-year-old transgender youth, was shot in the chest by an armed Walgreens security guard during a minor shoplifting incident involving $14 of candy.
Despite conflicting testimony, community outrage, and civil rights organizations demanding accountability, DA Jenkins refused to prosecute.
Her justification defied public confidence. Her decision fractured trust between the DA’s office and the communities most vulnerable to violence. And the message was unmistakable: corporate security was shielded while a young Black trans person was dismissed as collateral damage.
Video of Banko Brown shooting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ernk4TlbLAE
Case #2: Keita O’Neil — Video Evidence, A Police Shooting, Charges Dropped
In December 2017, 42-year-old Keita O’Neil was shot and killed while unarmed and fleeing. Former DA Chesa Boudin brought charges against SFPD Officer Chris Samayoa — the first prosecution of its kind in San Francisco history.
Yet when Jenkins assumed office, she dismissed the charges entirely, citing “insufficient evidence.”
Her decision aligned perfectly with police union interests, political donors, and institutional pressures that have historically shielded law enforcement from accountability.
Video of Keita O’Neil shooting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOpsdfDVqh0
A Clear Double Standard Emerges
When Walgreens’ corporate security kills a young Black trans person?
No charges.
When an SFPD officer shoots and kills an unarmed Black man captured on video?
Charges dropped.
But when a Black filmmaker — a man whose work has long challenged the narratives favored by police, prosecutors, and entrenched power — stands accused?
The DA’s office mobilizes with rare intensity.
Case #3: The Prosecution of Kevin Epps — A Scorching Zeal Absent From Other Cases
Inside the courtroom:
- Prosecutor-led “reconstructions” border on suggestion and speculation.
- Leading questions became the dominant tool during witness examination.
- Key forensic gaps are glossed over rather than scrutinized.
- The judge displays a troubling tolerance for prosecutorial overreach.
This is not the behavior of a justice system seeking truth; it is the behavior of a system that seeks a conviction.
And the timing is critical:
The final day of the trial is set for Monday, December 8, 2025, after which the jury will begin its deliberations.
San Francisco is holding its breath.
A City Watching, A Community Refusing Silence
The December 5 rally was not just a demonstration — it was a declaration. The people of San Francisco made clear that they will not ignore a DA whose prosecutorial hand shifts based on race, class, political benefit, or institutional alignment.
This moment requires scrutiny. It requires courage. And it requires that we speak with clarity:
Selective prosecution is not justice.
Political convenience is not justice.
Convicting one Black man will not excuse the failure to prosecute others who have killed without consequence.
As the jury prepares to decide the fate of Kevin Epps, San Francisco must decide what kind of city it wishes to be.
A city of fairness?
Or a city of double standards masquerading as law and order?
I will continue reporting until the truth is no longer buried beneath politics.
As always, we leave you with the following song/video:
Bryann T – Struggle Ft. YD Kev, Brandon Trejo, & Ryann T
Malik Washington is a freelance journalist and Director at Destination: Freedom and Destination Freedom Media Group. For over 14 years, Malik has been a published journalist and news reporter focusing on criminal justice issues, conditions of confinement in jails and prisons, as well as hot-button political issues. You can reach him via email: mwashington2059@gmail.com or call him at (719) 715-9592.
Suggestions or leads on stories are always welcome.
Please follow us on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/destfreedom13
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/destinationfreedom13/
X: https://x.com/dest_freedom
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
