San Francisco Hall of Justice – Photo by David M. Greenwald
SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco jury has acquitted Irie Benson, 48, of attempted murder after finding that he fired a gun in self-defense to protect himself and his elderly uncle from a knife-wielding stranger, deliberating for less than two hours before returning its verdict.
Prosecutors had also charged Benson with personal use of a firearm and repeatedly sought to keep him jailed, a decision that cost him his job and deprived him of the chance to say goodbye to his uncle, who died while Benson was incarcerated.
Benson is a father and the primary caregiver for his wife and mother, both of whom are 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,” Deputy Public Defender Anthony Gedeon said.
He added, “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 the city on Sept. 20, 2024, to visit his uncle and friends at his uncle’s home near 16th and Mission streets. While they were gathered outside, a stranger approached, verbally attacked Benson’s uncle and threatened to kill him while brandishing a knife.
Benson asked one of his uncle’s friends for a gun and showed it to the man in an attempt to make him back away. Instead, the man threatened to kill Benson, who then shot him once in self-defense. The man was taken to a hospital with nonfatal injuries.
At trial, the man who brandished the knife testified as a prosecution witness. He admitted he had been drinking and using drugs at the time of the incident and said he did not remember anything about his encounter with Benson or Benson’s uncle.
After hearing the evidence, jurors deliberated for less than two hours before fully acquitting Benson of all charges.
“I commend the defense team for their critical investigative work and fierce advocacy on behalf of Mr. Benson,” said 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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Categories: Breaking News San Francisco Court Watch Tags: Criminal Justice FIrearm Charges jury verdict Public Defender San Francisco Self-Defense