Board urges DA, SFPD to release footage, reports in killing of Banco Brown

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on May 9 adopted a resolution urging the city’s district attorney and the police department to release police reports, witness statements and video footage related to the April 27 killing of Banco Brown, a Black transgender man shot outside a downtown Walgreens.

The board’s resolution asks the district attorney and SFPD to disclose evidence that “formed the factual basis in the case presented by the San Francisco Police Department for filing charges by the district attorney.” The board amended the original draft to add SFPD as an additional party urged to disclose materials and to change a usage of the word “murder” to “homicide.” The motion to adopt the measure as amended was made by Board President Aaron Peskin and seconded by Supervisor Matt Dorsey; the board took the measure without objection.

Why it matters: In the days after April 27, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins publicly said she would not file charges in the case, citing her review of evidence. That announcement spurred wide public outcry and calls from community members, advocates and elected officials for the release of the underlying material. Speakers at the May 9 meeting said transparency is needed to restore public trust and to allow community scrutiny of prosecutorial decisions.

Public testimony and board debate

Dozens of speakers — family members, community organizers, and advocacy groups — called on the board to demand release of the materials. Eve Chiu, a transgender resident, told supervisors, “Banco Brown could have been you, could have been me.” Several speakers described witnessing events or cited media accounts that they said raised questions about the DA’s public statements.

Many commenters linked the case to broader concerns about policing, housing and poverty. “Being hungry is not a crime,” several speakers said; others urged limits on armed private security and more investment in housing and social services.

Board members expressed a mix of deference to prosecutorial discretion and insistence on transparency. Several supervisors said the DA has legal discretion over evidence release but argued the board must press for disclosure in the public interest. Supervisor Dean Preston framed the issue as one of procedural legitimacy: “Transparency is the cornerstone of procedural justice,” he said during debate.

What the resolution does

The adopted measure urges the district attorney and the San Francisco Police Department to release police reports, witness accounts and video information relating to the killing, to the extent those materials can be publicly disclosed under law. The resolution does not compel disclosure by statute; rather it records the board’s formal request and reflects an urgent call from elected officials and speakers at the hearing.

Next steps and context

The resolution sets a clear public expectation for release of the materials. If the DA or SFPD decline, the board and community advocates have other tools, including letters of inquiry, public pressure and — in some circumstances — subpoena authority. The board’s action underscored the depth of public concern and marked a formal citywide appeal for transparency in a case that has already drawn national attention.