On the morning of May 19, news spread that there had been another victim gunned down by police in San Francisco. Jessica Williams — a twenty-nine-year-old Black woman who might have been pregnant — was shot and killed after a police chase in the Bayview District. Police claim the car was stolen but no rationale has been offered as to why exactly SFPD chose to shoot her down while she sat in her car after it crashed. She was unarmed.

Chief of police Greg Suhr appeared on camera to give the “official” police version that was quickly distributed by the corporate news. However, unlike previous SFPD killings, that’s as far as Chief Suhr got. Within a few hours, Mayor Ed Lee — just one day after Lee repeated his support for the chief — announced that he was firing Suhr. Community pressure had been building to fire Suhr in response to his record as Chief, especially after the Frisco Five began a hunger strike on April 22.

Later in the evening, protesters rallied at City Hall before a large vigil was held at the site of her murder.

On Friday, May 27, a rally and march will be held for Jessica Williams.

Honoring the Life of Jessica Williams | Jessica Williams killed by SF police 5/19/16 forcing Police Chief Suhr to resign | "Police Said She Would Not Follow Their Orders and a Sergeant Shot Her." | SFPD Kills Again — Vigil at Site of Murder!

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