San Francisco police union calls for chief to step down
SAN FRANCISCO — The union representing San Francisco police officers demanded Saturday that its chief resign, accusing him of blaming officers for raids that he ordered to determine who leaked a police report to a freelance journalist.
Chief William Scott acknowledged Friday that the searches were probably illegal and apologized for the way his department handled the investigation, telling the San Francisco Chronicle, “I’m sorry that this happened.”
Bryan Carmody was handcuffed for hours on May 10 while police searched his home and office to uncover the source of a leaked report on the unexpected death of the city’s former public defender. They subsequently removed dozens of Carmody’s cameras, cellphones, computers and other equipment.
Scott initially defended the raid, telling the city Police Commission his department went through the appropriate legal process.
However, on Friday he said he reviewed all material related to the searches and acknowledged the warrants didn’t adequately identify Carmody as a journalist. He blamed department investigators for their “lack of due diligence.”
The police union fired back on Saturday, saying in a scathing statement that Scott was actively involved in directing the investigation. Because the chief ’s office issues press credentials, the union alleged that Scott knew Carmody was a journalist and did not disclose that fact to the sergeant who wrote the search warrant.
“Chief Scott oversaw and ordered the investigation and raid of a journalist’s home, and then when the optics did not go his way, he threw the men and women who carried out his orders under a double-decker bus,” said Tony Montoya, president of the 2,200member San Francisco Police Officers Association.