A homeless man accused of attacking a San Francisco police officer assigned to Mayor Daniel Lurie’s security detail was rearrested days after a judge ordered his release. Tony Phillips, 44, was taken into custody Monday for allegedly violating a court-ordered stay-away provision, according to San Francisco police. Officers conducting homeless outreach spotted Phillips and arrested him without incident.
Key points
Details
Phillips’ second arrest follows San Francisco Superior Court Judge Sylvia Husing’s decision on March 11 to release him after a March 5 confrontation in the city’s Tenderloin district. The encounter began when Mayor Lurie and his security team encountered a group blocking a street. Phillips allegedly became argumentative, approached the mayor’s officer, and then rushed and slammed the officer to the ground, resulting in a concussion and head laceration to the officer. Phillips faces felony charges of resisting an executive officer and assault on a peace officer with serious bodily injury.
At the March 11 hearing, Judge Husing suggested Phillips had been “violently assaulted” rather than being the aggressor, ordering his release and imposing a stay-away order barring Phillips from the area. Phillips’ attorney, Ivan Rodriguez, disputed the charges and claimed bodycam footage showed the officer initiated physical contact. Prosecutors argue Phillips poses a public safety risk and cite his history of failing to appear in court.
Mayor Lurie, who was present during the incident, stated he stopped out of concern for public safety. He has continued conducting daily street outreach in San Francisco, emphasizing his focus on public safety and addressing homelessness and behavioral health issues. Last week, Lurie announced nearly $100 million in new state funding for mental health and addiction treatment services to help reduce street homelessness.
For more stories on this topic, visit our category page.
