Federal lawsuit: Video contradicts SFPD account of incident with man
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)— A civil lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court alleges that San Francisco police officers unlawfully detained and beat a man in the Tenderloin District in 2015 and then told lies about the incident that were contradicted by video evidence.
The lawsuit, filed by civil rights attorney John Burris, alleges that San Francisco Police Officers John Fergus, Thomas Buckley, Elizabeth Morse and Andrew Clifford approached a group of men including the plaintiff, Brandon Simpson, around 11 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2015 at the corner of Taylor and Eddy streets.
The lawsuit alleges that officers tackled Simpson as he walked away and punched and kneed him as he lay on the ground.
The officers testified in federal court that Simpson had run, fought and actively resisted arrest, but that evidence was later contradicted by video evidence, the complaint alleges.
U.S. District Court Judge Breyer ultimately dismissed the charges against Simpson in May of 2016 and recommended Buckley be disciplined for misconduct, according to the complaint.