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‘Who has my back?’ Walgreens security guard defends himself after fatally shooting trans shoplifter

May 6, 2023 | | Print Article

Banko Brown, a 24-year-old black transgender male, caught the attention of a San Francisco Walgreens security guard, Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony on the evening of April 27.

Anthony suspected Brown was shoplifting and confronted the would-be thief.

Brown allegedly began hitting Anthony and “spat” on him, according to reports, before threatening to stab the guard.


(Video: YouTube)

When Anthony told Brown to leave the store and was refused, the guard gestured toward his gun but did not point it at the suspect. But that didn’t stop Brown, who allegedly made a move toward Anthony.

That’s when Anthony pulled his weapon and shot Brown, who died of “gunshot wounds” shortly after arriving at a nearby hospital,  the Daily Mail reported.

Despite threatening to stab Anthony, Brown was reportedly “unarmed,” and, as he ticks all the woke boxes, the incident has sparked rage from the perpetually enraged LGBTQ+ community.

Anthony was arrested for murder, but District Attorney Brooke Jenkins declined to file charges — at least, for now — and he was released on Monday.

In a statement, Jenkins’ office stressed that Anthony “believed he was in mortal danger and acted in self-defense” when he shot Brown.

“We cannot bring forward charges when there is credible evidence of reasonable self-defense,” the D.A.’s office said. “Doing so would be unethical and create false hope for a successful prosecution.”

Following his release, Anthony told his side of the story to the San Francisco Standard.

“This is a very life-changing matter,” he said, adding that “[i]t’s not like I go through this many times.”

As crime continues to spiral out of control under California’s progressive policies, Anthony explained, security guards like him are under tremendous “pressure” to protect businesses.

“This is important for more people to be more aware of,” he said. “It was happening too frequently.”

Guards are “limited” in their ability to handle suspected shoplifters, and they are often forced to make split-second decisions. The results, Anthony suggested, are predictable.

“It’s a lot to deal with. It’s a lot of pressure. A person can only take so much,” he said. “When you are limited to certain options, something will happen.”

And when something does happen, Anthony, who was employed by a private security firm — not Walgreens — said the guards are on their own.

“Who has my back?” he asked. “Nobody. You are left with no support.”

In a statement following the shooting, Walgreens offered condolences to Brown’s family and stressed that the “safety” of the store’s customers and employees is its “top priority.”

“[V]iolence of any kind will not be tolerated in our stores,” the statement read. “We take this matter seriously and are cooperating with local authorities.”

Meanwhile, activists, who clearly don’t care how threatening Brown was, are screaming for justice.

Literally.

Earlier this week, activist Lia McGeever spoke at a board of supervisors meeting and, for 15 seconds, screeched like a banshee into an open mic.

“That is what the trans genocide in this country, in this city, has brought me to,” McGeever explained.

On Friday, Jenkins assured the public that there is “an ongoing investigation” into the shooting of Brown, and Anthony could still be charged.

“While we opted not to charge this case earlier this week when we discharged it, we asked SFPD to conduct further investigation,” she said. “It’s still an ongoing investigation, still an open case, so I’m not yet at the point (when) I can publicly reveal all of the facts.”

Melissa Fine
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