Overview
- Prosecutors filed felony counts of accessory after the fact and resisting or obstructing a peace officer against Erika Porter and Oliver Barcenas after arrests last week, with Porter pleading not guilty and Barcenas set for arraignment.
- The charges follow a May 31 pursuit and shootout in which police say Norris Reed III fired at officers, grievously wounding Officer Brittney Taylor, and then fled to the Bayview Navigation Center where he was later found with two firearms.
- District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and SFPD officials say surveillance video and audio show Barcenas passing clothing to Reed to conceal his identity and show Porter giving officers misleading information while Reed was nearby.
- Five Keys, the nonprofit operator, disputes that account and says staff evacuated clients, kept the suspect outside, and followed a manager’s instruction to hand Reed a jacket after he flashed a gun and told staff not to call 911.
- The case raises questions about shelter staff duties and safety, use of surveillance and bodycam evidence in prosecutions, and could prompt closer oversight of navigation center procedures and police-notification practices.