PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 27th, 2023
SAN FRANCISCO – On Friday, April 28th at 9 am, a hearing for SFPD officer Kenneth Cha who shot an unarmed Black man, Sean Moore, took place at San Francisco’s Hall of Justice, Dept. 20. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins once again did not object to a request for delay from the defense. The hearing happened during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, bringing forth calls from community advocates for the District Attorney to take action and stand with all victims of crime, including victims of police violence.
Kenneth Cha shot the unarmed Sean Moore, who was having a mental health crisis at his home, in 2017. On January 20, 2020, Moore died from complications directly related to the gunshot wounds. The coroners’ report ruled the death a homicide and stated that the cause of death was Acute Intestinal Obstruction caused by the bullet wounds’ scar tissue.
Moore’s mother, Cleo Moore, and his brother, Kenneth Blackmon, are demanding that DA Jenkins take immediate action in the case against Kenneth Cha, and bring the case to a preliminary hearing so that evidence can be heard. Since taking office in 2022, DA Jenkins has acted as an ally to the defense for Officer Cha, allowing delay tactics which have dragged the case on for nearly two years. .
During the hearing, Mrs. Moore gave a powerful statement on how the delays have impacted her. “The defense attorney has been saying for two years that he needs more time, and for the last eight months I have watched DA Jenkins say in court, ‘No objection, your honor.’ This hurts my heart and makes my soul weary.”
Moore’s family members have experienced emotional and physical turmoil waiting for justice for their loved one. Mrs. Moore and Mr. Blackmon have been coming to court since charges against the officer were first brought by DA Chesa Boudin in November 2021. Since DA Jenkins took office, the family receives no updates from the DA’s office, has had meetings with the family canceled, and each time Cha’s attorney requests a delay, the DA has allowed it without concern for the family’s prolonged suffering. Mrs. Moore is 84 years old and this long and grueling process has impacted her physical and emotional health.
“Each time I am forced to come to court, it reopens the wound of my son being murdered by police, bringing tremendous grief and pain to the surface all over again. Although the DA is supposed to represent the interests of the victims, their office has not once met with me to discuss the case or keep me updated. I want closure and they deny me that each month by allowing delays in court, never once objecting to a delay requested by the defense.” – Mrs. Cleo Moore, mother of Sean Moore
“Losing a loved one to police violence is unthinkably painful. Waiting over 6 years for accountability for my brother’s murder only to see the case dragged on and on is cruel.” – Kenneth Blackmon, brother of Sean Moore
“Brooke Jenkins’s publicly expressed concern for victims of violence has not extended to the family of Sean Moore. She promised police accountability during her campaign for office, but so far we have only seen a double standard when it comes to victims of police violence. It’s time for her to stop the delays and prioritize the pain and suffering of the victim’s family.” – Rebecca Young, attorney for Mrs. Moore
Last month, DA Jenkins attempted to drop the charges against another former SFPD officer who had shot and killed a Black man, Keita O’Neil, who was running away.
You can demand DA Jenkins stop these delays by sending an email to her now.
