S.F. police commission leaders defend chief
Support comes after union demands resignation over raid on journalist
The president and vice president of the San Francisco Police Commission defended Police Chief Bill Scott on Sunday, one day after the head of the police union called for his resignation over a police raid on a journalist.
At issue is the May 10 search of the home, office and phones of freelance journalist Bryan Carmody, who received a leaked report containing details on the February death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi. Armed with a sledgehammer, police raided Carmody’s home in an effort to uncover his source.
Scott initially defended the raid, which used warrants approved by two judges, saying it was a legitimate search of Carmody’s property. He suggested the freelance journalist — who sold the report to three television stations — was part of a criminal conspiracy to steal the death report.
But the chief apologized a few days later after the raid
was derided by leaders including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Kamala Harris. In an interview with The Chronicle, Scott admitted the search was probably illegal and called for an independent investigation into the raid.
Still, Tony Montoya, president of the city’s Police Officers Association, wrote a searing letter Saturday calling for his resignation.
“It is time for Chief Scott to go. There’s no other way around it,” he wrote. “His apology to the media was clearly meant for him to save face as opposed to accept responsibility for his own actions. Shameful.”
Police Commission President Robert Hirsch and Vice President Damali Taylor said in a statement on Sunday that Scott’s apology was the “mark of a leader,” and he is a chief who has “shown himself to be a person of high integrity.”
“Chief Scott did what is rare for police chiefs: he apologized to the citizens of San Francisco. He did so completely and unequivocally,” they said in the letter.
Under Scott’s leadership, the commissioners said in the letter, police use of force in the city has gone down, and body cameras are now consistently used throughout the department.
“The chief has shown himself to be committed to reform and has done a lot to lead SFPD in the right direction. We would like to see him continue the great reform work he has started,” the letter continued.
The two commissioners are the latest voices to weigh in on the controversial raid, which has spurred questions about due process and set off a national debate about freedom of the press.
The death report included details that Adachi was with a woman — who wasn’t his wife — in a Telegraph Hill apartment when he collapsed on Feb. 22 at age 59. While initial reports said he died of a heart attack, the medical examiner later ruled that his death was caused by a mix of cocaine and alcohol, combined with an existing heart condition.
Adachi, a longtime critic of law enforcement, often clashed with the department over issues such as use of force. His supporters believed that whoever leaked the report intended to smear his reputation after he died.
The commissioners could not be immediately reached for further comment.
It was not clear whether they spoke for the entire seven-member commission.