Thursday, 28 Mar 2024

The Police Raid Roiling San Francisco

Good morning.

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I hope your Memorial Day weekend was relaxing and reflective.

Here’s how The Times has covered the holiday for the past century. It’s a worthwhile reminder that the nation has heard many calls for peace over the decades — but it’s still possible to find some comfort in the words.

Now, if for you a long holiday weekend means spending some time blissfully offline, you might have missed the latest developments in the bizarre story surrounding a police raid on a freelance journalist’s San Francisco home.

On Friday, the chief of the San Francisco Police Department, William Scott, apologized for the raid, in which officers took a sledgehammer to the door of the home of the journalist, Bryan Carmody, in an effort to find information about where he obtained a leaked police report.

In an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle, Chief Scott apologized for the raid to the “people of San Francisco,” as well as to the mayor.

In a statement, he said he had asked outside agencies to look into what happened and whether department investigators were clear about Mr. Carmody’s occupation when they sought judges’ approval for a search warrant. He acknowledged that might have changed the outcome.

The statement angered leaders of the police union, who called for Chief Scott to resign.

Need a refresher on the case? Here’s a timeline:

Feb. 22: San Francisco’s respected longtime public defender, Jeff Adachi died unexpectedly. He was known as an advocate for the accused, as well as an outspoken critic of the police. Authorities provided little detail about how he died, but said no foul play was suspected.

Feb. 25: The Chronicle reported that police were investigating how media outlets got a leaked police report that described in detail the circumstances of Mr. Adachi’s death, including that he was with a woman who was not his wife. It was later reported that multiple TV stations had bought it from Mr. Carmody, a “stringer,” or freelance journalist, who has a long history covering crime scenes and car wrecks.

April 18: City leaders and Mr. Adachi’s widow sharply criticized the police department over the release of the information.

May 10: Law enforcement officers raided Mr. Carmody’s apartment, cuffing him for hours and taking his equipment, after he said he had refused to reveal the source of the report. The raid alarmed press advocates. California, in particular, has strong laws protecting journalists who obtain information from anonymous sources.

May 11 to present: City officials as well as others have weighed in on the raid. Some, like Mayor London Breed, said it appeared to have been appropriate, but later adjusted their stances after wide public outcry; the case has become a cause célèbre among free speech advocates.

May 21: After a court hearing, the police were set to return Mr. Carmody’s property. But later that day, Chief Scott ratcheted up the investigation, describing Mr. Carmody as a “co-conspirator” in the purported “theft” of the police report.

So it was surprising when a few days later, on May 24, Chief Scott apologized — which just about brings us up to date. The outside investigations and legal battles are continuing.

Here’s what you may have missed this weekend

(We often link to sites that limit access for nonsubscribers. We appreciate your reading Times coverage, but we also encourage you to support local news if you can.)

• A cross-country journey by Greyhound had become something of a fading American tradition. But now, a surge of Central American migrants seeking asylum have given the company a boost, as they jostle for spots on the buses that will take them from the border to cities where they hope to start new lives. [The New York Times]

• Representative Duncan Hunter, the Alpine congressman who was accused of misusing campaign cash to pay for his family’s vacations and other expenses, told a crowd that he posed for a photograph with a dead combatant while he was in the military. He was speaking in defense of a Navy SEAL team member accused of war crimes. [The San Diego Union-Tribune]

A U.C. Santa Cruz fraternity has been dismissed and its local charter has been revoked after an investigation into the off-campus death of a member. The investigation found “deeply appalling behavior,” including hazing and drug use. [Santa Cruz Sentinel]

Another horse died at Santa Anita Park. It was the 26th fatality at the racetrack since Dec. 26. The deaths have prompted scrutiny and questions about the future of the sport. [The New York Times]

Carpinteria’s avocado growers have a problem: They can’t find commercial pesticide sprayers. That’s because pesticide sprayers are concerned about accidentally contaminating nearby cannabis crops, which could render them unsellable. While cannabis growers say they won’t sue, pesticide sprayers aren’t risking it. [Santa Barbara Independent]

• Following Denver’s lead, Oakland could become the nation’s second city to decriminalize magic mushrooms. (This wouldn’t make them legal — the city would just direct officials to stop prosecuting users.) The Oakland proposal would also decriminalize some other natural psychedelics. [The San Francisco Chronicle]

Arnold Schwarzenegger pledged to help a 102-year-old woman who was set to be evicted from her Ladera Heights home so the landlord’s daughter could move in. [The Los Angeles Times]

• If you missed it, Farhad Manjoo, a Times columnist, wrote about how San Francisco’s housing crisis — and the state’s inability to fix it — is emblematic of a problem eating American cities alive. [New York Times Opinion]

Icons in the Bay

Yesterday was the Golden Gate Bridge’s 82nd birthday. Here are some photos of it over the years. (Look out for Chow Chows.) [KQED]

• Check out images of the Warriors on their quest for a third straight N.B.A. title. [The San Francisco Chronicle]

Carlos Santana and Mumford & Sons closed out BottleRock in Napa. The festival is a more relaxed alternative to some of the state’s desert megafests, known as much for its food and drink as its performances, fans say. [The Press Democrat]

And Finally …

Millennials helped usher in a boom in craft beer.

Now, all those years of consuming what is basically hopped-up bread by the pint are starting to catch up with us. So, Matthew Sedacca reported for The Times, craft brewers are working to make beers that are lighter on calories and alcohol and full of purportedly healthy additions like chia seeds and bee pollen.

In February, Chico-based Sierra Nevada Brewing Company acquired Sufferfest Beer Company, which markets its suds to athletes.

Sufferfest’s founder, Caitlin Landesberg, said the company had built its brand by skipping beer festivals and meeting runners at the finish line.

“There is that demographic that is the millennial person who votes with dollars, who wants to have something that’s new and indulgent but understands their health-conscious lifestyle,” she said. “And that sweaty consumer is a tribe that I’m a part of and speak to.”

California Today goes live at 6:30 a.m. Pacific time weekdays. Tell us what you want to see: [email protected]. Were you forwarded this email? Sign up for California Today here.

Jill Cowan grew up in Orange County, went to school at U.C. Berkeley and has reported all over the state, including the Bay Area, Bakersfield and Los Angeles — but she always wants to see more. Follow along here or on Twitter, @jillcowan.

California Today is edited by Julie Bloom, who grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from U.C. Berkeley.

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