The case of Randall Dunklin, the 55-year-old man who was shot and wounded in the South of Market neighborhood by San Francisco Police officers after allegedly stabbing an officer who pepper-sprayed him, caused a mini-uproar this winter after video of the incident was posted on the Internet. Dunklin’s shooting came hard on the heels of another officer-involved shooting by SFPD officers in the Portola district, when 46-year-old Vinh Bui was killed after refusing commands to drop a knife.
Both Dunklin, Bui and two other people shot by SFPD officers in 2010 had histories of mental illness, prompting SFPD and the Police Commission to overhaul the department’s training for dealing with mentally ill people.
However, Dunklin’s court proceedings for charges of assaulting an officer and vandalism (SFPD contacted him on January 4th because he was allegedly slashing tires near 10th and Howard Street) is highlighting the effect on San Francisco’s legal system of former Mayor Gavin Newsom’s decision to appoint SFPD Chief George Gascón as District Attorney on January 9, five days after Dunklin was shot.
The subsequent investigation of that shooting is being handled by California Attorney General Kamala Harris to avoid conflicts of interest. However, because the Attorney General has not concluded their investigation, on Wednesday morning San Francisco Superior Court Judge Carol Yaggy made the unusual decision of refusing to allow Dunklin’s attorney to question two SFPD officers about statements they made to investigators after the shooting. Continue reading