Alameda DA Drops Case in Murder of Steven Taylor

(Addie Kitchen, grandmother of Steven Taylor, says she wants the case to go to trial. Credit: Emilie Raguso/The Berkeley Scanner)

Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson is moving to dismiss the charges against former San Leandro Police Department officer Jason Fletcher for the murder of Steven Taylor. The decision follows years of delay and negligence around this case as members of local and state law enforcement rallied to prevent Fletcher from facing trial by a jury of his peers. Even as judges repeatedly rejected attempts to toss the case.

Notably, there's also evidence of illegal collusion between current and former members of the DA's office to help Fletcher's defense, headed up by infamous attorney Michael Rains, who regularly defends police officers found to have engaged in misconduct and brutality.

Whether there will ever be justice for Steven Tayor and the Taylor family is now deeply uncertain. But we do know that it's likely Fletcher will file an expensive lawsuit against the City of San Leandro. Indeed, Fletcher's partner, another former SLPD officer, Stefan Overton, sued the city for millions when a report about their brutality was released, adding insult to injury and mockery to manslaughter.

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For those who don't remember, this tragedy happened on April 18, 2025. Taylor was suffering a mental health crisis at the Walmart on Lewelling and Hesperian, having spent years living on the street, struggling with schizophrenia and bipolar depression. Staff alleged Taylor was attempting to leave the store without paying. Fletcher was the first on scene. He grabbed and tased Taylor multiple times before finally shooting him in the chest. Everything happened in less than 40 seconds.

At the time, many argued that Fletcher was justified. But video footage from that day showed otherwise, especially under AB 392, the 2019 California Act to Save Lives, a then-recent law to prevent police brutality. Even now, many "copaganda" apologists continue to push lies about the shooting, including our own San Leandro Police Officers' Association. Fortunately, after months of mounting evidence and public outcry, then-Alameda DA Nancy O'Malley charged Fletcher with voluntary manslaughter.

I've written extensively about the history of this case, both in the courts and in the community. Check my archives to learn more.

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So why, despite all of the evidence, despite the law itself, does DA Dickson want to drop this case so badly? (So badly, in fact, that she went judge-shopping after the presiding judge, who denied her previous attempt, had left for vacation.) Why are witnesses reporting from meetings at her office that she says there's "a mountain of evidence" from unknown "experts" who would argue this murder isn't a crime? Why are insiders sharing that she was looking for reasons to ditch this case even before she took office? And why are there reports that she even instructed her own deputy district attorneys to sabotage the case? Well, sadly, the answer seems to be political pettiness.

DA Dickson has a long and solid reputation in the courts, with 13 years as a deputy district attorney and over 11 years as a judge. After resigning from the bench, she became a vocal opponent of certain progressives entering the legal system, particularly reformers like Pamela Price. You may remember Price was elected back in 2022 as part of a culmination of the Black Lives Matter movement that emerged in response to repeated instances of police brutality, such as the murder of George Floyd and, notably, Steven Taylor. Not even halfway through her term, she was then recalled under dubious circumstances in 2024 as part of a conservative backlash. The recall effort was organized and funded by a cabal of law enforcement organizations, including former DAs, as well as real estate and finances companies, who have long opposed efforts to dismantle injustice inherent in the criminal legal system and prison industrial complex.

Ironically, Dickson recently shared on a local podcast, The Marinade with Lee Thomas, that she sought the job of district attorney to stand up for victims of crime and to bring murderers to justice, claiming she works 24/7 and that she'll sleep when she's dead. It's unclear whether her workaholism and insomnia have affected her ability to include crimes committed by cops and their victims. While she's tried hard to blame every problem on her predecessor, it rings hollow in the face of her choice to dismiss murder charges against not just Fletcher, but against dozens of law enforcement officers implicated in murder and brutality who were previously indicted. Dickson has made it clear that her main priority is undoing anything Pamela Price did, seemingly regardless of the merits or facts, and maybe even her own ethical duty.

I admit that, on a personal note, I am deeply disappointed to see Dickson refusing to prosecute a murder and engaging in this kind of craven partisanship. I wasn't surprised that the proverbial fix was in to get Fletcher off for his crimes. But I never would have guessed that Dickson would be the one to do it. It's a stain on her career in public service. It's a betrayal of everything she claimed to stand for, every principle she articulated, and every promise she made to this community. I only hope that she's held accountable for it.

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So, what now? Well, you can be sure that the coalition of family and friends of Steven Taylor aren't going to just let this travesty happen. Activists, advocates, organizers, and others are already mobilizing to push back! Addie Kitchen, the grandmother of Steven Taylor and the one who raised him, has filed her own motions to stop the dismissal. A press conference was held on Wednesday at the steps of the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse by Lake Merritt. You can check out clips of the event by going to @Justice4StevenTaylor on Instagram. A rally to pack the court is going to be held on Friday at 2 PM in Department 10.

Beyond that, you can call the DA's office at 510-272-6222 to voice your outrage or email them at Alcoda@acgov.org. Demand that the DA prosecute this case and stand up for victims of police violence. Let her know that voters will remember this come election season.

You can also contact the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, who appointed Dickson. For most of you in San Leandro, that would be Supervisor Lena Tam. You can call her office at 510-272-6693 or via email at bos.district3@acgov.org. Demand she withdraws her support of Dickson and issue a statement condemning the DA's decision in this case.

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The murder of Steven Taylor was a spark that lit a fire for an entire movement here in San Leandro. Hundreds of people became involved in local politics and civil society. They held protests in the street and painted messages across the city. They joined civic organizations and ran for political office. They fought against corruption in the police department and ignorance in city hall. They passed new laws and built new institutions.

Even now, the transformation that occurred seems almost impossible. And, to be fair, much of this progress has faced a predictable backlash from conservatives clinging to power. There's been infighting, self-defeat, burnout, and other challenges. But if there's one thing that united all of us, it was this injustice. It was our recognition that the murder of Steven Taylor is a crime that embodied everything that was wrong with our society, with the system, and with ourselves.

Every year, hundreds of people are killed by police. 2024 was actually the deadliest year on record, with over 1,365 victims. Approximately 250,000 people are brutalized by police each year. Black people are almost 3 times more likely to be killed by police than Whites, even though they are just about as likely to be unarmed as Whites. 33% of people killed by police were trying to flee. Yet, 98% of police killings go uncharged. In San Leandro, misconduct by our own police officers has cost more than millions in lawsuits, they've destroyed lives. As the popular rallying cry goes: no justice, no peace.

Take note and take care.

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CASL, AEJIS.