Body-worn camera footage shows officers shoved, knocked to the ground, and ridiculed a woman who was on her way to work
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 18, 2024
PRESS CONTACT: Public Relations Officer Jessie Seyfer | pdr-mediarelations@sfgov.org | (628) 271-9800
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco police in riot gear repeatedly shoved a woman, violently tackled her to the ground, and ridiculed her while she was in handcuffs in July, according to a complaint the San Francisco Public Defender’s office filed today with the Department of Police Accountability. The woman, San Francisco resident Amelia Jones, was a bystander and not part of a nearby protest against U.S. involvement in Israel’s attack on Gaza. But when she saw police yank a person to the ground, she yelled for them to stop. Police aggressively blocked her way and yanked her to the ground as well, while letting others pass on the same street. Officers arrested Jones, and their body-worn camera footage contradicts how the officers described the incident in their police reports. A judge who later reviewed the footage dismissed all charges against Jones.
“Multiple officers violated San Francisco Police Department policies by using unnecessary force, failing to intervene in that wrongful use of force, and writing dishonest accounts of the arrest,” said Deputy Public Defender Brian Cox, who heads the Integrity Unit of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. “Incidents like these demonstrate how police aggressively escalate interactions with community members when it is completely unnecessary, with disturbing and traumatic results.”
On the morning of July 24, Jones, 30, was walking her bike down Sacramento Street toward her office near the intersection of Kearny Street. Several police officers, carrying batons and wearing riot helmets, were lined up across Sacramento at the intersection with Kearny while a protest that happened a few blocks away was dispersing. Jones saw police suddenly yank a cyclist to the ground and she and several other bystanders began yelling for the officers to stop hurting the person.
Officers told Jones to get back, even though another person who was also shouting about the treatment of the cyclist was permitted to remain at the intersection. Jones tried to approach the intersection and an officer shoved her in the back as she turned away from the officer. Jones told the officers, “I’m on my way to work, I’m on the phone with my coworkers, and I’m just trying to help someone.” Officers continued to block her and pushed her to the side. Panicked by the officers’ violent actions, Jones began screaming for help and raised her arms in the air. An officer shoved her repeatedly, and Jones’ hand touched the officer’s helmet as she brought her arms down. The officer then violently tackled Jones to the ground. Officers pinned Jones’ legs and cuffed her. At no time did officers try to calm Jones or defuse her visible distress. The officer who shoved Jones can be heard ridiculing her, saying, “I know it’s very exciting to have people cheering for you.” A few moments later, the same officer taunts her: “Your fan base is gone, so you’re not really performing for anybody now.”
Jones was arrested and charged with resisting/obstructing an executive officer, battery on a peace officer, and resisting arrest. Despite having no arrest record, Jones was held in County Jail for 36 hours. The DA’s office formally charged Jones with four misdemeanors, and the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office was appointed to represent her. Her attorney, Deputy Public Defender Elly Leggatt, challenged the charges, citing the body-worn camera footage, and a judge dismissed them.
“I would like to hold police accountable for their misconduct, which has caused me a lot of anguish and pain,” said Jones. “There have been multiple women on local San Francisco news who have also been forcibly arrested by police for either minor transgressions or nothing at all. Women just crossing the street, on their way to work, or selling hot dogs. Our police are trained to react with aggression and violence. That erodes trust.”
The Department of Police Accountability is an impartial city agency that reports to the San Francisco Police Commission. It evaluates and investigates complaints from community members regarding allegations of misconduct by San Francisco Police Department officers and issues reports on whether officers violated policies. Once the DPA issues its findings, the Police Department and/or the Commission can decide on a possible disciplinary response.
Note regarding the body-worn camera footage: For full transparency, videos are unedited. Officer Williams had the closest interaction with Jones.
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