After California Attorney General Rob Bonta declined to prosecute a case against a former San Francisco officer who shot and killed fleeing suspect Keita O’Neil through the window of his patrol car in 2017, a judge on Friday officially lifted a stay of dismissal in the case.
The case had been originally charged by former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and was later dismissed by his successor Brooke Jenkins. That motion was put on hold until Friday.
Now, justice could be nearing end for his aunt April Green as they were just dealt their latest blow.
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“When is this office I asked him gonna have some [expletive] and stand up against those police officers that’s abusing their position?" Green said.
The Attorney General’s office had until June 5 to decide if it would pursue prosecution of former officer Christian Samoyoa.
But in a 21-page response emailed to NBC Bay Area, the Attorney General’s office detailed how Samayoa was just days into the job and had been hit in the head with paintballs during a training, demonstrating that a failure to act can result in deadly consequences for the officer.
It also reported how O’Neil reached for his waistband and therefore “supports the reasonableness of the officer’s beliefs that it was necessary to shoot O’Neil in self-defense.”
Ultimately, Bonta’s office said the charges against Samayoa could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
The decision is relief for Samayoa’s attorney Michael Rains, who said in a brief call with his client, a new father was happy.
“It’s been a long road for Chris Samayoa and his family and we’re happy that finally, true justice has prevailed, the right decision has been made,” he said.
Green’s attorney Brian Ford is said it’s possible the Department of Justice could take an interest but the only hope is that new people come to power.
