Alleged Illegal Search, SF Police Brutality Caught On Video
The office of San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi released a video today showing San Francisco Police Department officers physically attacking an apparent bystander after (allegedly) illegally searching the room of a residential hotel resident on Dec. 30, 2010. Adachi's office claims that this video directly "contradicts officers’ sworn statement on several counts and appears to support the resident’s claim officers stole his property." In the police report, officers detained Fernando Santana, 48, in the Jefferson Hotel lobby at 440 Eddy "after claiming to see crack cocaine in his outstretched hand." However, in the video Santana's hands are inside his pants pockets.
This has prompted Adachi to demand "a culture change in our city’s police department."
Officers involved in the controversial Dec. 30 arrest are Ricardo Guerrero, Reynaldo Vargas, Jacob Fegan, Peter Richardson, Robert Sanchez and Kevin Healy. Guerrero was the subject of a 2010 New York Times article, identifying him as one of the highest-paid police officers in San Francisco. Guerrero raked in $223,170 in 2008 while working in the narcotics division.
Video of Dec. 30 arrest below:
According to the PD office, here how the search went down:
0:00 Undercover officer Guerrero in dark clothing enters, crosses lobby. 0:19 Guerrero goes to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floor of hotel 1:54 Officers pass front desk and one briefly flashes a badge 2:22 Client enters lobby and is handcuffed 4:21 Handcuffed client is led to room and officers search room 6:36: Friend of client's stops by room and is choked and searched by police 9:08: Guerrero exits room with client's bag (not listed in police property list) and walks down hall
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