Lawsuit: San Francisco police illegally spied on protesters

SAN FRANCISCO - A lawsuit says San Francisco police illegally tapped hundreds of surveillance cameras to spy on police-brutality protesters this spring.

The San Francisco Chronicle says the suit filed Wednesday says police tapped into real-time footage from cameras in the Union Square area from May 31 to June 7, when thousands protested the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

The suit says police violated a city ban on using surveillance technology without prior approval except in emergencies. Police Chief Bill Scott has said the department sought to tap the cameras because of violence surrounding the protests but ultimately didn't use them.