Two Arrested After Attack on Mayor Lurie’s Security Detail in Tenderloin

An SFPD officer assigned to Mayor Daniel Lurie’s security detail was shoved to the pavement and left bleeding from the back of his head after a confrontation near Cedar and Polk streets on the edge of the Tenderloin, police said. SFPD reported officers responded to the intersection at 5:38 p.m. on March 5 and arrested two men following the physical altercation; the mayor was unharmed and not involved.

Mission Local video obtained from the scene shows a black SUV carrying the mayor, a driver who is also an SFPD officer, and at least one other member of the security detail. The vehicle was reportedly blocked by three people as it moved along the edge of the Tenderloin, and the footage shows one member of the detail interlocked with a man, then taken to the ground while Mayor Lurie calmly looked on before walking away.

SFPD said two officers who were part of the mayor’s security detail suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were assessed at the scene by paramedics. Mission Local’s on-the-ground reporting documented one visibly bleeding officer who panted while speaking to reporters and to fellow officers at the scene after striking his head on the pavement. The San Francisco Police Officers Association in a statement from president Louis Wong said, “We are grateful that the officers assigned to the mayor’s security detail acted swiftly and courageously to protect him in a dangerous and unpredictable situation.” Wong added, “We wish our injured officer a full and speedy recovery and commend all involved for their bravery and decisive actions.” That union language referred to “the injured officer,” a phrasing some outlets reported as indicating a single injured officer, while SFPD’s initial statement identified two officers assessed.

SFPD described the incident in plain terms: “The officers were in a physical altercation with two unknown male subjects and requested back up.” One suspect was handcuffed at the scene and repeatedly shouted, “Fuck you!” as he was arrested, according to Mission Local and other scene accounts. A second suspect tried to flee the area and was apprehended a short distance away on Larkin near Post Street. Photographs from the scene show the handcuffed man on the ground surrounded by more than a dozen officers.

Mayor Lurie’s press secretary Charles Lutvak issued a brief statement: “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.” The mayor’s office did not address follow-up questions the night of the incident.

City officials have not released the names of the two arrested men or the specific charges; SFPD did not say what precipitated the encounter or whether additional footage such as bodycam video will be released. Outstanding items for confirmation include suspect identities and bookings, the exact medical disposition of the injured officers beyond the on-scene assessments, and the role of the reported third person who initially blocked the mayor’s vehicle.