OAKLAND — An Alameda County judge on Friday agreed to dismiss the manslaughter case against former San Leandro police Officer Jason Fletcher, abruptly ending a yearslong prosecution that had drawn immense public interest.
Judge Clifford Blakely’s ruling came after Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson’s office asked to bring an end to the case, citing concerns about proving the allegations at trial, which was been scheduled to begin in late January.
The dismissal closes the first Alameda County case of a police officer charged in an on-duty killing since BART Officer Johannes Mehserle was tried — and convicted — in the fatal shooting of Oscar Grant more than 15 years ago. Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in July 2010, by a Los Angeles County jury a…
OAKLAND — An Alameda County judge on Friday agreed to dismiss the manslaughter case against former San Leandro police Officer Jason Fletcher, abruptly ending a yearslong prosecution that had drawn immense public interest.
Judge Clifford Blakely’s ruling came after Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson’s office asked to bring an end to the case, citing concerns about proving the allegations at trial, which was been scheduled to begin in late January.
The dismissal closes the first Alameda County case of a police officer charged in an on-duty killing since BART Officer Johannes Mehserle was tried — and convicted — in the fatal shooting of Oscar Grant more than 15 years ago. Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in July 2010, by a Los Angeles County jury after the case was moved south.
Speaking from the bench at the end of a nearly two-hour long hearing, Blakely said he couldn’t help but side with prosecutors’ wishes to dismiss the case. Fletcher was charged with manslaughter for the 2020 on-duty killing of Steven Taylor inside a San Leandro Walmart.
“Quite frankly, I cannot escape the conclusion that the evidence does provide substantial support for that position,” Blakely said.
Moments later, a woman from the gallery yelled “shame on you,” and several supporters of Taylor’s family walked out of the courtroom chanting, “No justice, no peace.” Across the courtroom, Fletcher embraced his attorney, Michael Rains, before exiting the room through a side door.
In a statement issued Friday before the hearing began, Jones Dickson called the move “one of the most solemn and difficult in my career.” She repeated many of the claims laid out in her office’s dismissal motion, adding that the case was “compromised” before she was appointed in February.
“As tempting as it may be to seek any outcome that might ease the grief of a family, I will not put my finger on the scales of justice to engineer an unjust result,” Jones Dickson said.
“Criminal prosecution must never be used for political expediency or personal bias,” Jones Dickson said. “This decision is not a reflection of a lack of compassion; it is a profound declaration of our commitment to the rule of law.”
Check back for updates to this developing story.
Jakob Rodgers is a senior breaking news reporter. Call, text or send him an encrypted message via Signal at 510-390-2351, or email him at jrodgers@bayareanewsgroup.com.