San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s police security team was suddenly thrown into chaos Thursday evening after a violent confrontation broke out near the edge of the Tenderloin, one of the city’s most troubled neighborhoods.
The incident happened just before 6 p.m. near Cedar Street and left one police officer injured after a tense street struggle with a suspect. Mayor Lurie was not hurt.
According to reports, the mayor was traveling in a black SUV with two officers assigned to his security detail when three people allegedly stepped into the street and blocked the vehicle.
Lurie reportedly got out of the SUV and asked the group to move so the vehicle could pass. At first, the situation appeared to calm down as the individuals started to move aside.
But moments later, things took a sudden turn.
One of the men began acting erratically and started speaking incoherently, according to the injured officer. When the officer stepped forward and told the man to leave the area, the suspect initially backed away before suddenly charging toward him.
The officer grabbed the man, but the two fell to the ground during the struggle. As they tumbled, the officer hit the pavement hard and struck the back of his head.
Witnesses said the officer was left bleeding and struggling to catch his breath after the fall.
Meanwhile, the mayor’s driver, who is also a police officer, was dealing with another man nearby. That officer did not appear to suffer any injuries during the confrontation.
Police quickly moved in and arrested 44-year-old Tony Shervaughn Phillips at the scene. According to San Francisco County Jail records, he was booked on several charges, including assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, battery, threatening an executive officer, petty theft, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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Authorities say another suspect attempted to flee but was caught by officers a short distance away.
As officers placed Phillips in handcuffs, he reportedly shouted obscenities at police while being taken into custody.
More than a dozen officers soon flooded the area, surrounding the suspects and securing the scene as the injured officer received assistance.
Phillips has had previous run-ins with law enforcement. In 2019, he was arrested on suspicion of murder after allegedly stabbing a man in San Francisco’s Polk Gulch neighborhood. However, prosecutors later declined to file charges, citing insufficient evidence.
Mayor Lurie remained at the scene briefly as police handled the situation before leaving. Witnesses said he appeared shaken by the confrontation.
The mayor later confirmed there had been an altercation involving members of his security team but declined to share further details.
In a statement, Lurie’s spokesperson Charles Lutvak said the mayor was not directly involved in the confrontation.
“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,” Lutvak said.
The San Francisco Police Department confirmed that officers responded to the area around 5:38 p.m. and took two suspects into custody. Two officers assigned to the mayor’s security detail suffered injuries, though authorities said they were not considered life-threatening.
Louis Wong, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, praised the officers for their quick actions.
“We’re grateful the officers assigned to the mayor’s security detail acted swiftly and courageously to protect him in a dangerous and unpredictable situation,” Wong said.
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I think getting out and telling someone not to stand in front of your car was a stupid thing to do. He knows he shouldn’t be standing in front of a car on the street back up go around if he still gets hit it’s on him. Play in traffic things happen and they’re not the drivers fault. This world has lost it’s mind these people clearly don’t value their lives why should anyone else.