San Francisco mayor admits city 'needs a reset' hours before attack on security detail
A tense encounter turned violent in San Francisco’s troubled Tenderloin neighborhood Thursday evening when Mayor Daniel Lurie’s vehicle was blocked by several men, sparking an attack that left at least one security officer injured.
The confrontation unfolded around 5:40 p.m. near Cedar and Polk streets, the San Francisco Police Department confirmed to KTVU. Officers assigned to the mayor’s protective detail became engaged in a physical altercation with two unidentified male suspects after the mayor’s vehicle was stopped in the roadway.
Video from the scene shows a security detail member being taken to the ground as officers worked to subdue the suspects. One officer sustained visible injuries during the altercation.
The mayor was not harmed.
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, Mayor Lurie’s press secretary Charles Lutvak said: "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 directed additional questions to the San Francisco Police Department.
Police told KTVU the altercation involved two unknown male subjects and that officers requested backup as the situation escalated. Authorities have not said what led to the confrontation or whether the suspects directly threatened the mayor.
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Both suspects were arrested at the scene, police said. Their identities have not been released.
According to police, two officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were assessed by paramedics at the scene.
Photos published by Mission Local appear to show one suspect on the ground in handcuffs surrounded by officers. The outlet reported that three individuals initially blocked the mayor’s vehicle. Lurie allegedly asked them to move. While one person initially complied, that individual later became involved in a physical struggle with a member of the mayor’s security detail.
Louis Wong, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, confirmed that one union member was injured and praised the response of officers.
"The San Francisco Police Officers Association is relieved to hear that Mayor Daniel Lurie was not injured in the violent incident that occurred Thursday evening in the Tenderloin," Wong said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We are grateful that the officers assigned to the mayor’s security detail acted swiftly and courageously to protect him in a dangerous and unpredictable situation."
Wong added that additional SFPD officers quickly arrived on scene to assist and bring the situation under control, commending their professionalism and commitment to protecting the public and the officials they are sworn to safeguard. He said the union is wishing the injured officer a full and speedy recovery.
The clash came just hours after Lurie posted a message and video on Facebook calling for a sweeping reset of San Francisco’s government structure.
"San Francisco needs a reset. Our city charter is one of the longest in the country. It is bloated. It is broken," Lurie wrote, announcing proposed reforms aimed at consolidating the city’s contracting system, shortening and simplifying ballots and increasing executive accountability.
"This package of reforms is about results. It’s about accountability. It’s about making City Hall work for San Francisco," he wrote.
Fox News Digital reached out to the San Francisco Police Department, but did not immediately receive a response.