The family of a police officer shot and killed in San Francisco in 2004 said they will not support Vice President Kamala Harris because she put politics over justice, adding that Donald Trump is a “better option” for police across the country.
Isaac Espinosa, a 29-year-old husband and father, was shot by 22-year-old gang member David Hill during a traffic stop in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood on the night before Easter.
Harris, who had been in her job as district attorney only a few months, appeared on television three days after the murders to announce she would not seek the death penalty, even before speaking with the grieving families.
“She just put it out there,” said Edgar Mendez, the brother of Espinosa’s widow, Renata. He told the Daily Mail. “She seemed more focused on fulfilling campaign promises than showing compassion, reaching out to families and really being on the side of justice.”
Mendes, 45, who spoke to the outlet with permission from his sister, who has been inundated with media inquiries, said his family would “absolutely not” support Harris in the November election.
“We proudly support President Trump,” he said, “and believe he is the better option for us and for police departments locally and across the country.”
Some have said the former president is a “threat” to democracy, but Mendes argues Harris disregarded democracy by not prosecuting Hill to the fullest extent of the law in 2004, he told the outlet.
Harris pledged during her campaign for district attorney that she would not seek the death penalty, and she stuck to that promise when Espinosa was shot and killed, running against several California Democrats.
Then-Senator Dianne Feinstein said at the time that if she had known Harris would oppose the death penalty on “exceptional circumstances” grounds, she would not have supported her as district attorney in the first place.
Harris’ decision sparked a decade-long feud with the police union.
Gary DeLañez, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, was next to Harris as she made the televised announcement.
“I stood there and said, ‘Oh my God.’ he told CNN. During Harris’ 2019 presidential campaign, he said, “A child has not been put in the ground yet. And in your mind, you’re wondering, is she sorry that this child is dead, or is this just a political opportunity, is this an opportunity to double down on the fact that she will not seek the death penalty?”
Espinosa’s widow also told the outlet in 2019 that she couldn’t believe the announcement came before her high school sweetheart was buried and before she received the phone call.
“I felt like she robbed us of something,” she said. “She robbed us of justice. From Isaac. She was only thinking about herself… I couldn’t believe that she had already made the decision to go ahead and not seek the death penalty for my husband.”
