A tense encounter turned violent in San Francisco’s troubled Tenderloin neighborhood Thursday evening when Mayor Daniel Lurie’s vehicle was blocked by several men, sparking an attack that left at least one security officer injured.
The confrontation unfolded around 5:40 p.m. near Cedar and Polk streets, according to the San Francisco Police Department. Officers assigned to the mayor’s protective detail became engaged in a physical altercation with two unidentified male suspects after the mayor’s vehicle was stopped in the roadway.
Video from the scene shows a security detail member being taken to the ground as officers worked to subdue the suspects. One officer sustained visible injuries during the altercation.
The mayor was not harmed.
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As the investigation progressed, police said they developed probable cause to arrest both men. Authorities identified the suspects as 44-year-old Tony Phillips and 33-year-old Abraham Simon. Both were transported to San Francisco County Jail and booked.
Phillips faces multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, resisting an executive officer, resisting or obstructing an officer, battery on a peace officer, theft of lost property, possession of drug paraphernalia and contempt of court.
Simon was booked on suspicion of resisting or obstructing an officer and on an active out-of-county warrant for being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Phillips has previously been arrested in connection with a fatal stabbing in San Francisco.
In August 2019, police arrested him on suspicion of homicide after a man was stabbed during a physical confrontation on Fern Alley near Van Ness Avenue. The victim, 42-year-old Curtis Neal, later died at a hospital.
The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office ultimately declined to file charges in that case, citing insufficient evidence, the San Francisco Examiner reported.
Authorities have not said what led to the confrontation or whether the suspects directly threatened the mayor.
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Two officers also suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were assessed by paramedics at the scene, according to police.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Mayor Lurie’s press secretary Charles Lutvak said: “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.”
Photos published by Mission Local appear to show one suspect on the ground in handcuffs surrounded by officers. The outlet reported that three individuals initially blocked the mayor’s vehicle. Lurie allegedly asked them to move. While one person initially complied, that individual later became involved in a physical struggle with a member of the mayor’s security detail.
Louis Wong, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, confirmed that one union member was injured and praised the response of officers.
“The San Francisco Police Officers Association is relieved to hear that Mayor Daniel Lurie was not injured in the violent incident that occurred Thursday evening in the Tenderloin,” Wong said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “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 that additional SFPD officers quickly arrived on scene to assist and bring the situation under control, commending their professionalism and commitment to protecting the public and the officials they are sworn to safeguard. He said the union is wishing the injured officer a full and speedy recovery.
The clash came just hours after Lurie posted a message and video on Facebook calling for a sweeping reset of San Francisco’s government structure.
“San Francisco needs a reset. Our city charter is one of the longest in the country. It is bloated. It is broken,” Lurie wrote, announcing proposed reforms aimed at consolidating the city’s contracting system, shortening and simplifying ballots and increasing executive accountability.
“This package of reforms is about results. It’s about accountability. It’s about making City Hall work for San Francisco,” he wrote.
