An Alameda County Superior Court judge dismissed the manslaughter case against former San Leandro police officer Jason Fletcher on Friday afternoon.
Fletcher fatally shot Steven Taylor during a call for service inside Walmart in April 2020.
Authorities said Taylor was wielding a metal bat and threatening to hurt people. His family has said he was in a mental health crisis.
This week, the Alameda County district attorney’s office moved to dismiss the case against Fletcher, saying it could not prove criminal conduct beyond a reasonable doubt.
The DA’s office, under Ursula Jones Dickson, has also emphasized a variety of ethical violations that arose when former DA Pamela Price oversaw the case.
Under Price, the office was recused from the case due to allegations of bias, and people she hired have since been accused of ethical violations including shredding documents and failing to turn over exculpatory material to the defense.
A civil lawsuit remains pending.
This story will be updated with additional details in the coming hours. Check back for updates.
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