FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 9, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT: PDR-MediaRelations@sfgov.org
SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco jury has acquitted Irie Benson, 48, of attempted murder charges after determining that he shot a knife-wielding stranger to protect himself and his elderly uncle. Prosecutors also charged Benson with personal use of a firearm, and had continuously fought to keep him in jail—costing him his job and depriving him of the opportunity to say goodbye to his uncle, who passed away while Benson was incarcerated.
Benson is a father and the primary caregiver for his wife and mother, who are both battling serious illnesses. He was unable to support his family during the 15 months he spent in jail following his arrest in November 2024 until his full acquittal on Jan. 13, 2026.
“The evidence showed from the start that Mr. Benson fired only because a stranger had aggressively approached and then was standing over his elderly uncle with a knife,” said Deputy Public Defender Anthony Gedeon. “Police officers failed to interview several witnesses who were present. Instead, it was our public defender investigator who spoke with a witness who corroborated Mr. Benson’s account. Video evidence also supported his account. Because prosecutors refused to drop the case when the truth became clear, Mr. Benson lost a year and a half of his life, and his family suffered tremendously.”
Benson, who grew up in San Francisco and now lives in the East Bay, came to SF on Sept. 20, 2024, to visit his uncle and their friends at his uncle’s home near 16th and Mission streets. While they were gathered outside, a stranger approached, started verbally attacking Benson’s uncle, and threatened to kill the uncle while brandishing a knife. Benson quickly asked one of his uncle’s friends for a gun, and showed it to the man in the hope that the man would back off. Instead, the man then threatened to kill Benson, who shot the man once in self-defense. The man was taken to the hospital with non-fatal injuries.
At trial, the man who brandished the knife took the stand as a prosecution witness. He admitted that he was drinking and using drugs during the time of the incident and did not remember anything about his encounter with Benson or his uncle. After hearing the evidence, jurors deliberated for less than two hours before deciding to fully acquit Benson of all charges.
“I commend the defense team for their critical investigative work and fierce advocacy on behalf of Mr. Benson,” said elected San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju. “The jury’s swift decision to acquit demonstrates that prosecutors should have dropped the charges instead of wasting public resources and causing immense harm to Mr. Benson and his family.”
The defense team for Benson was led by Deputy Public Defender Anthony Gedeon and included Deputy Public Defender Pardeep Heyer, Investigator James Faulkner and Paralegal Miluska Sifuentes.
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