San Francisco Police Commission hears public outcry over courtroom photos, Bayview gun violence and staffing

The San Francisco Police Commission on Feb. 4 heard sustained public criticism of a courthouse incident in which officers photographed two young men and a deputy public defender was detained, and received repeated appeals from Bayview residents for more officers and faster forensic testing.

During public comment, Alan Schlosser, legal director of the ACLU, described video of officers photographing two African American men at a courthouse and said the lawyer who questioned that conduct "was arrested and carted away," a sequence he urged the commission to treat as a policy issue related to courtroom and hallway practices. Public Defender Jeff Adachi showed the commission a video and said his deputy, identified in the record as Jamie Tillerson, was handcuffed and detained for about an hour after advising a client not to speak with police; Adachi called for an apology and noted his office posted the video and fielded thousands of public messages in response.

Chief Sir addressed the commission in the chief's report and apologized for any distress caused to the deputy, saying he had reviewed the matter and the inspector believed he had reasonable suspicion to photograph individuals who matched clothing descriptions in a burglary. "I do not disagree that he had reasonable suspicion," Chief Sir said, and added that the department would not seek a warrant in the matter and "there will not be criminal charges"; he also…