San Francisco officer accused of hitting man with baton wants case thrown out

SAN FRANCISCO - A San Francisco police officer has accused the district attorney's office of misconduct and wants the assault case against him to be thrown out.

Officer Terrance Stangel is accused of unnecessarily hitting Dacari Spiers with a baton in 2019, and claimed prosecutors withheld evidence that could be used to clear his name.

Spiers, whose leg and wrist were broken in the beating, had alleged through his attorneys that he was attacked for no reason and that he was consoling his girlfriend who had realized her wallet was stolen.

Stangel said prosecutors in District Attorney Chesa Boudin's office held back an interview with a witness who said that the suspect was assaulting his girlfriend before the officers approached him.

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Stangel's attorney said the officers were doing their job by responding and trying to protect someone who was "reportedly being strangled."

Charges against Stangel include assault with a deadly weapon, battery with serious bodily injury, and assault under color of authority.