Justice for Steven Taylor

Today is Steven Taylor Day in San Leandro.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Steven was having a mental health crisis in the Walmart on Hesperian, wielding a bat. Police showed up on the scene, shot him with a gun within 40 seconds, and tasered him while he lay on the ground unarmed & non-threatening. Steven suffered from schizophrenia, homelessness, and bipolar issues like my older sibling. If you've never seen how drastically treatable issues can change a loved one then consider yourself lucky because it's one of the most heartbreaking things one can witness. They're never the same and our system fails them by leaving them on the streets without treatment.

As we use Steven Taylor Day to raise awareness and support each other in our collective grief we must also raise awareness of the lack of justice being delivered for Steven's family. The constant theatrics which Jason Fletcher's lawyer displays during court dates and delay tactics are a way to deny justice, costing the taxpayers thousands upon thousands of dollars. Acknowledging Steven Taylor Day and having a pavilion named after him are nice but any apology without atonement is nothing short of a manipulation tactic for PR.

Steven Taylor's family deserves justice, not lip service.