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U.S. NEWS Monday 27 May 2019
San Francisco police

union calls for chief

to resign

By DAISY NGUYEN shield law was violated,”
Associated Press Scott said.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The police union fired back
The union representing on Saturday, saying in a
San Francisco police offi- scathing statement that
cers demanded Saturday Scott was actively involved In this May 21, 2019, file photo, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott speaks during a news
that its chief resign, accus- in directing the investiga- conference in San Francisco.
ing him of blaming officers tion. Because the chief’s Associated Press
for raids that he ordered office issues press creden-
to determine who leaked tials, the union alleged that
a police report to a free- Scott knew Carmody was
lance journalist. a journalist and did not
Chief William Scott ac- disclose that fact to the
knowledged Friday that sergeant who wrote the
the searches were prob- search warrant.
ably illegal and apologized “Chief Scott oversaw and
for the way his department ordered the investigation
handled the investigation, and raid of a journalist’s
telling the San Francisco home, and then when the
Chronicle , “I’m sorry that optics did not go his way,
this happened.” he threw the men and
Bryan Carmody was hand- women who carried out
cuffed for hours on May 10 his orders under a double-
while police, armed with a decker bus,” said Tony
sledgehammer, searched Montoya, president of the
his home and office to 2,200-member San Francis-
uncover the source of a co Police Officers Associa-
leaked report on the unex- tion. Mayor London Breed
pected death of the city’s requested an independent
former public defender. probe into the way police
They subsequently re- executed the search war-
moved dozens of Carmo- rant, which could lead to
dy’s cameras, cellphones, charges, and the ongo-
computers and other ing investigation into who
equipment. leaked the report, which
Media organizations across could lead to discipline for
the country criticized the officers.
raids as a violation of Cali- Montoya called for a sepa-
fornia’s shield law, which rate investigation into Scott,
specifically protects jour- adding the chief should be
nalists from search war- placed on administrative
rants. leave during the probe.
Because the warrants are Scott didn’t respond to the
under seal, it’s not known specific allegations made
what information police by the union, but a depart-
provided to support the ment statement issued Sat-
searches or to what extent urday said an additional
they disclosed that Carmo- probe by the Department
dy is a journalist. of Police Accountability will
Scott initially defended the examine how the case was
raid, telling the city Police handled on all levels, in-
Commission his depart- cluding the command staff
ment went through the ap- and the chief.
propriate legal process. “Chief Scott has made
However, on Friday he said it abundantly clear that
he reviewed all material re- transparency and ac-
lated to the searches and countability are para-
acknowledged the war- mount in this criminal in-
rants didn’t adequately vestigation,” the statement
identify Carmody as a jour- said.
nalist. He blamed depart- Reporters and other First
ment investigators for their Amendment organizations
“lack of due diligence.” want a judge to revoke
“This has raised impor- search warrants that au-
tant questions about our thorized the raid and to un-
handling of this case and seal the materials submit-
whether the California ted in support of them.q