SF public defender alleges excessive force in deadly scooter crash

SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office is challenging the police account of a scooter rider's death in the city's SoMa neighborhood last month, releasing new surveillance video this week of the incident.

Deadly scooter crash

What they're saying:

Police previously stated that 56-year-old Edward Michael Adams was riding a scooter and fleeing from officers when he crashed into a bus shelter. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

However, the public defender’s office is disputing that sequence of events. 

According to the office, officers were chasing the man in unmarked vehicles prior to the crash on Oct. 12. The public defender alleges that an officer used excessive force by tackling the man, causing him to hit the bus shelter.

In response to the incident, the public defender’s office has filed a formal complaint with San Francisco's police watchdog.

Police push back 

The other side:

In a statement, Louis Wong, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, said his officers acted to protect the public while trying to arrest someone fleeing at "dangerous speeds" on a scooter, including riding against traffic and through a bus lane.

That conduct put the rider, officers, and other community members at serious risk, Wong said.

"Based on information currently available, the officers acted properly and in the interest of overall public safety," Wong said, disputing accounts that Adams was tackled. "This was a tragic outcome for the individual who was wanted on a warrant."

Wong added: "The public defenders’ allegations are misleading and misplaced."
 

San Francisco