San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s police security detail was attacked Thursday evening near the edge of the city’s drug-plagued Tenderloin District, leaving one officer bleeding from the back of his head after a chaotic street confrontation.
The mayor was not hurt in the incident, which unfolded just before 6 pm near Cedar Street, according to New York Post, citing Mission Local.
The San Francisco Police Department said officers responded to the area of Cedar and Polk streets at about 5:38 p.m. and arrested two men. Two officers assigned to the mayor’s security detail suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
One San Francisco Police Department officer assigned to Lurie’s security detail was left panting and bleeding after he slammed his head during a struggle with a suspect.
Tony Phillips, who was booked on suspicion of murder in 2019 but never faced charges, was arrested in the incident.
San Francisco County Jail booking logs show Phillips, 44, detained on suspicion of threat to an executive officer, possessing drug paraphanelia, petty theft, battery and assault upon a police officer, and resisting or obstructing an officer.
Phillips was arrested in 2019 for allegedly fighting with and stabbing a man in the Polk Gulch neighbourhood, per the San Francisco Chronicle, close by to where he allegedly attacked Lurie’s security guard.
The District Attorney declined to charge Phillips, reportedly citing insufficient evidence.
The mayor had been riding in a black SUV with the officer and a driver, also a cop, when three people allegedly blocked the vehicle in the street. Lurie jumped out of the SUV and asked the group to move, the injured officer told responding cops.
At first, the trio appeared to comply, but the situation escalated when one man began “talking gibberish,” the officer said. When the officer stepped in and ordered the man to move along, the suspect initially backed off, then suddenly came at him.
The officer grabbed the man’s upper body, but the two tumbled to the ground during the scuffle. The cop fell backward and struck his head on the pavement, leaving him bleeding.
Meanwhile, Lurie’s driver, also a police officer, was dealing with another man at the scene. That officer did not appear to be injured. It remained unclear whether the second man assaulted anyone, and the role of a third person mentioned by police also remained unclear.
The suspected attacker was handcuffed at the scene and repeatedly shouted, “F–k you!” as officers arrested him. A second suspect tried to run but was caught by police a short distance away.
More than a dozen officers flooded the block, surrounding the two suspects as they lay in handcuffs.
Lurie watched the aftermath before walking away from the scene and appeared shaken by the ordeal. The mayor told Mission Local the men had attempted to fight a police officer but declined to elaborate further.
“There was an altercation this evening involving the mayor’s security detail. The mayor was not involved. We appreciate our SFPD officers for their quick response and for keeping our city safe every day,” said Charles Lutvak, Lurie’s spokesperson.
Louis Wong, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, praised the officers’ response.
“We’re grateful the officers assigned to the mayor’s security detail acted swiftly and courageously to protect him in a dangerous and unpredictable situation,” Wong said.
“We wish our injured officer a full and speedy recovery and commend all involved for their bravery and decisive actions.”
