San Francisco prosecutors charge two men after Tenderloin fight involving Mayor Daniel Lurie’s police bodyguards

Charges filed after street confrontation near Cedar and Larkin

San Francisco prosecutors have filed criminal charges against two men accused of fighting with members of Mayor Daniel Lurie’s police security detail during a confrontation in the Tenderloin last week, as questions mount over how the altercation began and how officers assigned to protect the mayor engage with people on the street.

The incident occurred Thursday at about 5:38 p.m. near the corner of Cedar Street and Larkin Street, an area where the mayor has frequently appeared in public while walking and speaking with residents. Video of the confrontation circulated online in the days that followed, showing a physical struggle involving an officer in plainclothes assigned to the mayor’s protection.

What video and initial accounts show

One widely shared clip shows the suited officer pushing a man to the ground as the man attempts to move past him. The man then appears to fight back, ultimately slamming the officer onto the pavement. Additional footage begins after the initial contact, capturing the struggle as it escalates and draws in another man and at least one additional officer connected to the mayor’s security detail.

Images taken shortly after the confrontation show one of the officers bleeding from the back of the head, consistent with an impact against the ground. The mayor is visible nearby during portions of the scuffle.

Who was charged and what prosecutors allege

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ office charged 44-year-old Tony Shervaughn Phillips with multiple offenses, including resisting an executive officer and causing great bodily injury, assault on a police officer, and contempt of a court order tied to an alleged violation of a stay-away order for the location. Prosecutors said they plan to seek Phillips’ continued detention, citing public-safety concerns and the alleged court-order violation.

A second man, 33-year-old Abraham Simon, was charged with resisting or obstructing a police officer, based on his alleged involvement as the incident unfolded.

Accountability investigation opened into officer conduct

Separately, the city’s Department of Police Accountability has opened an investigation into the officers involved. The inquiry follows the emergence of video suggesting the first physical contact may have been initiated by an officer assigned to the mayor’s security detail.

Questions about documentation of the encounter have also surfaced. Reporting on the incident indicates no body-worn camera footage captured the confrontation because officers assigned to the mayor’s security detail were not wearing body cameras at the time.

Key points now at issue

• Whether officers used appropriate force at the outset of the encounter.
• How quickly a verbal interaction escalated into a fight and why.
• What policies govern protective details when the mayor initiates street-level contact.
• How the criminal case will proceed alongside the administrative investigation.

The criminal filings and the accountability investigation move on separate tracks: one focused on alleged assaults and resistance, the other on whether officer actions complied with policy and law.

The two defendants are expected to be arraigned Tuesday. The Department of Police Accountability investigation remains ongoing.