Man shot on Muni appears to attack with knife in video
Surveillance videos that captured a deadly shooting inside a Muni train Wednesday show the man who was killed attacking another rider with what appeared to be a knife moments before the other man opened fire, according to footage reviewed by The Chronicle.
The footage, which has not been publicly released, could provide the basis for a self-defense claim for Javon Green, 26, whom police arrested after the shooting that killed 27year-old Nesta Bowen and injured a 70-yearold man. It may also affect how the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office charges Green in the case.
Officials with District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s office declined to comment on the footage. San Francisco police spokesperson Robert Rueca also declined to comment, citing the pending investigation.
A spokesperson for the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office said Green had not yet been arraigned, and may be assigned a public defender after that court appearance.
Green, a Pittsburg resident, was arrested Thursday and booked at San Francisco County Jail for murder, possession of a weapon and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, San Francisco police Officer Kathryn Winters said Friday. The D.A.’s office had not filed charges in the case as of Friday evening.
San Francisco police released an image of the person suspected in the shooting last week before Green’s arrest. The image appeared to match the person in the video reviewed by The Chronicle.
Surveillance footage shows two men sitting next to one another and talking on a sparsely populated train car. The tenor and content of their conversation isn’t clear — the videos The Chronicle reviewed did not include audio.
At one point, the men stand up, and Bowen can be seen reaching for something in his back pocket before charging at the man who appears to be Green. That man, who is carrying a backpack, quickly backs up as Bowen advances. Bowen swings at the man’s face with his fist and what appears to be a knife in one hand.
As the melee approaches the end of the train car, the man who appears to be Green can be seen retrieving the gun out of his backpack and shooting at Bowen, who falls to the floor. The second victim, the 70-year-old man, can be seen calmly walking to a seat and lightly touching his knee.
After the shooting, the man who appeared to be Green was seen walking to the other end of the train car and seemed to say something to the other passengers.
The shooting occurred between Forest Hill and Castro stations, and police said Green fled when the train reached Castro Station.
The burst of violence shut down Muni Metro trains in the area for hours on Wednesday, and sparked fears that the shooting was linked to the city’s Pride celebrations. Police quickly sought to assure the public that the attack appeared to be targeted and not motivated by LGBTQ hate.
Bowen, a longtime Bay Area resident, was a music producer and rapper who came from a musical family. At the time of the shooting, he had been taking community college classes in graphic arts. He had previously worked for the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.
Green was arrested after police released a still photo from surveillance video of the alleged shooter and asked him to come forward. It was unclear as of Friday how police identified Green as the suspect.