Family of SF cop whose killer escaped death penalty under DA Kamala Harris speaks out

Mainstream media outlets in recent weeks have been awash in stories about the massive popularity and enthusiasm enjoyed by newly minted Democratic Party presidential nominee Kamala Harris, but there is at least one California family who shares no such love for the former prosecutor who loves to tout her allegedly tough-on-crime bona fides.

As the New York Post reports, the family of Isaac Espinoza, a San Francisco police officer who was shot and killed while on duty back in 2004 and for whose killer Harris declined to pursue the death penalty, has come forth to declare their opposition to her candidacy for the highest office in the land.

Officer killed by gang member

It was on April 10, 2004, that, while attempting to question gang member David Hill about a suspected concealed weapon, Espinoza, then 29 years old, was shot twice.

Though he was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, Espinoza, a married father of a three-year-old daughter, ultimately died of his injuries, as the San Francisco Examiner reported.

Just days after the officer's death, Harris, who had only recently assumed the role of San Francisco district attorney, appeared on television to declare that she would not be seeking the death penalty for Hill.

Harris made her decision in the case without having even spoken to Espinoza's loved ones, sparking outrage and heartbreak that lingers to this day.

In her campaign to become the city's top prosecutor, Harris pledged adherence to an anti-death penalty platform, something that drew the ire of law enforcement officers and their union leadership alike.

Family's wounds remain

Judging from recent statements made by members of Espinoza's family, some of the wounds stemming from Harris' decision not to pursue capital punishment for Hill remain nearly as fresh as they were back in 2004.

Edgar Mendez, the brother of Espinoza's widow, blasted the callousness of Harris' actions, recalling, “She just went ahead and announced it. She seemed more focused on fulfilling a campaign promise as opposed to showing compassion, reaching out to family, and really being on the side of justice.”

Harris' decision was so offensive even to some prominent fellow Democrats that the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein noted at the time that if she had realized that the death penalty would be taken off the table by the new D.A. even in “special circumstances” such as the Espinoza killing, she likely would not have supported her candidacy to begin with.

As such, it is not surprising in which direction the late officer's family is throwing their support ahead of the November presidential election.

“We are proudly supporting President Trump. We believe he's the better option for us and for police departments locally and throughout the country as well,” Mendez stated, surely echoing the sentiments of millions.