The Advocate

(Photo credit: KTVU. Photo of Jason Fletcher, a killer.) On September 14, the San Leandro Police Officers Association sent out a new press release to local media outlets, including the San Leandro Times, which published it on September 17. Other outlets opted to cover it more generally in context of recent events around our city. Additionally, the SLPOA has recently paid for their their organization's page to become advertised content on Facebook, where they have been allocating a full-time staff member to delete almost all critical comments about SLPOA and SLPD's actions since the murder of Steven Taylor by Officer Jason Fletcher. So, here's my Socratic Dialogue in response to their copaganda spin attempts. You can see an original copy of their press release on their social media page , just in case you want to double-check anything. *** Them: San Leandro Police Officers’ Association Expresses Condolences to Family, Friends of Steven Taylor-- Me: No condolences to the fami...

In a promising move of political and moral courage, the San Leandro City Council has authorized the release of the internal investigation report provided by the OIR Group, who were contracted to help clean-up repeated misconduct in the San Leandro Police Department. You can read it and the city’s press release . In what was obvious to most residents, the report confirms that former SLPD Officer Jason Fletcher violated numerous department policies, failed to utilize several non-lethal tactics, and clearly violated the law when fatally shot Steven Taylor on April 18, 2020. Let’s start with the essential conclusion: “Had a different approach been taken, the use of deadly force might have been avoided altogether.” [ Emphasis added.] The report’s findings state this outright, actually condemning the actions of both Fletcher *and* Officer Stefan Overton. Yes, you read that right! Now in this era of increasing cynicism and apathy, I confess to being stunned by this admission. Of course, local...

(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 Taylor and the Taylor family is now deeply uncertain. But we do know that it's likely Fletcher wi...

It has been 18 months since Steven Taylor was murdered by former San Leandro Police Officer Jason Fletcher in less than 40 seconds from when he arrived on scene. It has been 18 months since still active SLPD Officer Stefan Overton was an accessory to the crime, tasing Steven even after he had already been shot. It has been 18 months since the ongoing racism and inequity within San Leandro was laid bare in a way that was impossible to ignore or deny. A judge in the proceedings recently denied Fletcher's motion to dismiss the case.  However, Fletcher didn't bother to appear in court, letting his attorney, Michael Rains of the Oakland Riders police corruption scandal , to bloviate on his behalf. Among the notable remarks were these:  "Alameda County Superior Court Judge Thomas Reardon asked why Fletcher did not wait for his backup since Taylor allegedly posed no immediate threat to anyone when Fletcher arrived at the Walmart at 15555 Hesperian Blvd. on April 18, 2020." ...

I waited to post until now. I wanted to sit with my feelings about the first official Steven Taylor Day this past April 18, 2021. The day commemorated not his murder by SLPD, but rather his life as a father, a son, a grandson, an artist, an SLHS alumnus, and so much more. He was a human being. His life mattered. It was self-evident, inherent. His worth was more than 40 seconds or $40 dollars of generic retail items. However, because he was a Black man, mentally ill, and homeless, he was discarded, disregarded, callously calculated as less than and less deserving than. Sadly, his story is not unique or even rare. It's why Steven Taylor Day was also made into a memorial for every life, every victim, every survivor, every family touched by police violence. It’s a reminder that racism is not a bygone era or fringe feeling. It was built into the foundations of our nation, intertwined within our institutions, our values, our way of life. So, yes, I wanted to sit with it, because so much ...