Police officer protecting San Francisco mayor knocked down on street

A police officer guarding Mayor Lurie was knocked down by an assailant, sustaining a head injury in a high-crime San Francisco neighborhood.

The security detail for San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie was attacked on the evening of 5/3 near Cedar Street, on the edge of Tenderloin, an area notorious for drug problems.

When the incident occurred, Mayor Lurie was in an SUV with two police officers. A group of people blocked their vehicle in the middle of the street. The three individuals exited the vehicle and asked the group to move, but one man began speaking erratically.

As one officer approached, the man stepped back then suddenly charged. Video of the incident shows that during the struggle, the suspect knocked the officer backward, causing his head to hit the street and bleed.

A police officer protecting San Francisco Mayor was knocked down on the street, 5/3. Video: Instagram/Missionlocal

Meanwhile, the other officer was handling a different man at the scene. It is not yet clear if this man attacked anyone. Mayor Lurie was not injured during the event.

The assailant, Tony Phillips, 44, was arrested at the scene while continuously yelling. He has a criminal record for assault, resisting arrest, theft, and drug offenses. In 2019, Phillips was arrested on charges of stabbing a man in the Polk Gulch area, not far from where Mayor Lurie's security team was attacked.

The San Francisco Police Department later stated that two police officers from the security detail were injured, but their injuries were not life-threatening.