Kenneth Harding

Kenneth Harding Jr., 19, died amid gunfire during an SFPD fare-enforcement encounter in San Francisco's Bayview neighborhood on July 16, 2011.

What happened

On July 16, 2011, police conducting fare checks at a Bayview light-rail stop confronted 19-year-old Kenneth Harding Jr. Officers said Harding ran and fired toward them, after which they returned fire. He fell wounded while bystanders filmed the aftermath and protested the police response and delayed aid. Initial reports described his death as a police shooting, but medical and ballistics evidence later showed the fatal .380-caliber bullet was not fired by police weapons. Prosecutors concluded he died from a self-inflicted gunshot during the encounter. His family and supporters continued to contest the police narrative and raise concerns about officer tactics and treatment following his collapse.

Investigation & findings

The San Francisco district attorney's November 26, 2012 review attributed the fatal wound to a self-inflicted shot and concluded the officers acted in self-defense. The review explicitly did not decide issues about department-policy compliance, training or civil liability. Do NOT call the fatal projectile police gunfire; preserve the family's objections as attributed claims.

What happened

Investigation & findings

Sources & records