Four arrested in California, Georgia in shooting of 49ers player Keion White in February
Four people were arrested in California and Georgia in connection with a shooting that injured San Francisco 49ers player Keion White earlier this year, authorities said on Wednesday.
The shooting happened on Feb. 9 at about 4 a.m. at the Dahlia Club in San Francisco's Mission District. White, a defensive end who joined the 49ers in a trade with the New England Patriots last October, was shot in the ankle during a private party he was hosting at the club after attending the Super Bowl earlier in the day at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
White told reporters last month that his injury wasn't serious and that he didn't even realize he had been shot right away.
"I didn't know I got shot until like five minutes after, as I was walking around," White said.
There were no arrests at the time and the San Francisco Police Department said the shooting was preceded by a verbal altercation between two groups of people.
"Operation D-Line" results in arrests
On Wednesday, the department announced the arrests following a months-long investigation dubbed "Operation D-Line" which involved dozens of search warrants and help from multiple law enforcement jurisdictions and the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.
"Our investigators identified multiple people involved in the incident," Police Chief Derrick Lew said at a press conference on Wednesday. "It started when multiple suspects, some brandishing firearms, confronted the 49ers player, which then led to a physical altercation between the group and the victim, who was shot in the leg."
On Oct. 7, the Atlanta Police Department, acting on a SFPD warrant, arrested 38-year-old Marquis Davis at his home. During the arrest, officers also seized an illegal firearm, 820 grams of MDMA, 1,026 grams of methamphetamine, 979 grams of cocaine, and 3,842 grams of fentanyl, according to San Francisco police.
On the same day, San Francisco police officers and San Joaquin County Sheriff's deputies arrested 36-year-old Antoine Washington in Stockton, California, and also recovered a loaded gun, over 120 oxycodone pills, and nearly $7,000 in cash. Also on Oct. 7, SFPD officers took 35-year-old Curtis Green into custody in Irvine, California with the help of the Irvine Police Department.
On Oct. 9, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested 36-year-old San Joaquin County resident Gregory Walker in Southern California.
Two defendants charged in Keion White shooting
Walker and Green were brought back to San Francisco and booked into county jail on Monday and the two were arraigned on Wednesday. Walker was charged with assault with a semi-automatic firearm, with allegations that he personally discharged a firearm and inflicted great bodily injury, along with being a felon in possession of a firearm, the District Attorney's Office said.
Green was charged with misdemeanor gun charges, including brandishing a firearm and carrying a loaded gun in public.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said her office would move to have Walker detained pending trial without bail because of the public safety risk he poses.
San Francisco Police Chief Derrick Lew said his department and DA's Office were working with the other jurisdictions to arrange for Davis and Washington to be brought to San Francisco. He added that the circumstances surrounding the shooting were still being investigated.
"We are actively pursuing evidence to continue to clarify the motivations behind this violent incident and to hold those responsible accountable for their actions," Lew said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Lew acknowledged the assistance of the Atlanta Police Department, Cobb County Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, Irvine Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, and San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office for their assistance in the case.
Police asked for any additional witnesses or victims in the incident to come forward and contact the department.
It was the second time in two years that a 49ers player was shot during the offseason. On Aug. 31, 2024, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in the city's Union Square just before the start of his rookie season.
