San Francisco officer charged with on-duty homicide, DA’s office calls it a first

The charges include voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, assault by a police officer, and discharge of a firearm with gross negligence.

“As far as we are aware, this is the first ever time that the San Francisco district attorney’s office has filed charges against a law enforcement officer for a homicide,” said San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin.

A statement from the DA’s office said that on Dec. 1, 2017, Samayoa was following O’Neil, who was suspected of assaulting a California Lottery employee and stealing a van that belonged to the agency. At one point, O’Neil reached a dead end and abandoned his vehicle. The statement said O’Neil passed the police car Samayoa was in, and when he did, Samayoa shot him through the passenger’s side window.

O’Neil later died at a hospital, and Samayoa was fired in March of the following year as a result of the incident.

The San Francisco Police Officers Association says it stands behind the former officer.

“The criminal justice system will allow for the facts surrounding this case to be disclosed,” the organization’s president said in a statement. “We are committed to ensuring that Christopher and his family are supported during this difficult time and that he is accorded his due process rights and provided with a vigorous defense against these charges.”

O’Neil’s aunt told CNN affiliate KGO, “I am happy to hear this news, and hoping it brings some justice to our family.”

John Burris, an attorney for the family, said, “I was quite pleased to see it,” adding, “I was a little surprised that it wasn’t murder, but I understand the DA thinks manslaughter is a charge that is easier to prove than murder.”

The DA’s office did not request pre-trial detention of the accused officer. They said a judge signed his warrant with bail set at $1,000. It is unclear how soon the trial process will begin.