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Tenderloin meeting erupts in calls for independent probe after Mario Woods killing
Summary
Community members at a San Francisco Police Commission Tenderloin meeting demanded an independent investigation, criminal charges and the firing of the police chief after video of the officer-involved shooting of Mario Woods circulated; commissioners said they will review SFPD use-of-force policy and hold community meetings.
San Francisco — Hundreds of Tenderloin residents, activist groups and some police employees packed a community Police Commission meeting on Jan. 20 and pressed for immediate accountability after the officer-involved shooting of Mario Woods.
"Justice must be served," said Reverend Brown during the public-comment period, calling for a "fair, just, independent investigation." Numerous speakers echoed that demand, with coalition organizers calling for the police chief's resignation or firing and for criminal charges against the officers involved.
The meeting repeatedly returned to the same demands: that an independent probe — including a Department of Justice review — be opened; that those officers be charged if the evidence supports it; and that the mayor and the district attorney (identified in the meeting as the official responsible for charging decisions) act to ensure accountability. "We demand the immediate termination or resignation of police chief Greg Sir," a coalition representative said during public comment; other speakers asked for murder charges against the officers involved in Woods's death.
Police officers and some station sergeants who addressed the commission urged patience with the formal investigative process. Officer Shontay Williams, Bayview Station, said the criminal justice principle "innocent until proven guilty" must be respected and described officers' community work, including toy drives and youth outreach. Sergeant Tracy McCray and Sergeant Bassi Obot also said they wanted a full airing of facts before conclusions were drawn.
Joyce Hicks, director of the Office of Citizen Complaints, described the OCC's investigative process to the audience in a separate presentation earlier in the meeting and noted the office's subpoena power and timelines for investigation. President Loftus and commissioners repeatedly stressed that the commission had opened a policy-level review of SFPD's use-of-force rules separate from any ongoing investigations into the incident.
Commission President Susie Loftus told the audience the commission will present recommendations to the chief and will host community meetings on the review: Jan. 21 at Third Baptist Church, Jan. 26 at the Bayview YMCA, and Jan. 27 at the Boeddeker Clubhouse. "Judge us by the actions that we take," Loftus said as public comment closed.
The meeting was highly charged: speakers described trauma and anger over what they characterized as repeated police killings of Black and Latino residents, while others in the room urged the commission not to rush to judgement. Organizers representing the Justice for Mario Woods Coalition pressed for both systemic reform and immediate personnel accountability.
The commission adjourned after public comment; commissioners said the next procedural step is the ongoing use-of-force policy review and the scheduled community meetings where staff and the public can offer concrete recommendations.
