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yesterday

Judge Dismisses Manslaughter Case Against Ex–San Leandro Officer in 2020 Walmart Shooting

The ruling follows the district attorney’s conclusion that the evidence cannot meet the beyond‑a‑reasonable‑doubt standard.

Pam Wool holds a sign supporting Steven Taylor during a rally outside the Alameda County Superior Court building in Dublin in October 2020.
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San Leandro police officer Jason Fletcher handcuffs Steven Taylor after shooting him at a Walmart in body camera footage taken in April 2020. Charges have been dismissed against Fletcher for killing Taylor, who was wielding a bat and suffering an apparent mental health crisis. 
Officer Jason Fletcher points a gun at Steven Taylor inside a San Leandro Walmart in body camera footage taken in April 2020. Charges have been dismissed against Fletcher for killing Taylor, who was suffering an apparent mental health crisis. 

Overview

  • Alameda County Superior Court Judge Clifford Blakely granted District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson’s motion to dismiss after reviewing the record and weighing the community’s interest in a trial.
  • Prosecutors said they could not prove that Jason Fletcher committed a crime or negate self‑defense beyond a reasonable doubt.
  • Body‑worn camera and cell phone video show Steven Taylor holding an aluminum bat, being tased twice, and then shot within roughly 40 seconds after Fletcher arrived on a shoplifting call.
  • Taylor’s family and supporters condemned the decision, saying he was in a mental‑health crisis and that they received inadequate notice of the move to drop the case.
  • The case spanned multiple prosecutors and forums, with charges filed under Nancy O’Malley, later handled under Pamela Price and the state attorney general, returning to Jones Dickson after Price’s recall, and a prior judge denying a dismissal motion last month as the case neared trial.