In response to tension sparked by Kenneth Harding reportedly shooting himself to death while trying to evade fare police earlier this month, several pastors "stood on a Muni platform Monday in San Francisco's Bayview district and handed out money to strangers." It's all part of a campaign to somehow help alleviate anger and frustration due to there being an unusual amount of cops manning the T-Third line.

"There is so much tension in the community," Rev. Ishmael Burch of St. Andrew Missionary Baptist Church explained to KTVU. "We call this the tension relief campaign."

The men of God purchased around 200 fares for passengers. Which is pretty cool.

KTVU goes on to point out that the T-Third line "has one of the highest rates of fare evasion in the system," as well as "the highest number of assaults and robberies in Muni's light rail system."

In related news, Harding's family members are upset and want more answers from SFPD about the death of Kenneth. Adante Pointer, an associate of Oakland civil rights attorney John Burris and representative of the Harding family, says that "San Francisco police have given out 'conflicting' versions of what happened to Harding in a confrontation that began at about 4:45 p.m. on July 16, when police said he ran from officers who had attempted to detain him for fare evasion at a San Francisco Municipal Railway light-rail stop at Third Street and Palou Avenue."

Harding's mother, Denika Chatman of Seattle, said, "I'm angry and hurt and I want justice done."

If you recall, cops first thought Harding died by their bullets, which were in response to Harding firing first. It was later revealed that Harding allegedly died from a bullet coming from his own firearm.

While no weapon was found at the crime scene, "amateur video footage captured in the shooting's aftermath showed a passerby picking up what police investigators believe was Harding's gun and taking it from the area before police could establish the crime scene."

[KTVU]
[BCN/Appeal]