On Saturday evening, two SantaCon revelers trashed a Polk Street restaurant and punched an employee in the face, according to cellphone video footage shared on social media.
In one video, one female suspect is seen attempting to throw a sugar dispenser at an employee standing behind the counter of the Pakistani restaurant Shalimar at 1409 Polk St., while another woman — wearing a Santa hat — tries to hold her back.
The video shows the cash register broken on the floor, as well as sugar packets and other items strewn about.
Another video shared on Twitter shows a second female suspect repeatedly smashing the storefront door with a chair until it shatters and she walks away.
The impetus for the melee appears to stem from a group of intoxicated Santas, who had been loitering inside the restaurant around 7 p.m., the Chronicle reports.
Another video, a sugar dispenser being thrown at an employee. Note the extensive damage, register knocked on the floor already pic.twitter.com/HfKs4MiZkH
— Taylor Savvy (@taylorsavvy) December 10, 2018
Shalimar cook Alejo Cano Chan told KTVU that the suspects were intoxicated and were joining a group of friends who were eating. The two women alleged that they had ordered and paid for food, when they had not, he said.
"She says, 'Give me my food.' We say, 'You didn't order any food, show us the receipt, and if you have the receipt, we can give you the food.' But no receipt," he said.
Once the group was asked to leave, things escalated, Chan said.
San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Joseph Tomlinson said the department is aware of the incident and is conducting a full investigation.
SantaCon, founded in 1994, operated with necessary permits from the city in previous years. This year, however, the city did not grant a permit, but the event was promoted on social media.
SantaCon, founded in 1994, applied for a city permit for the first time this year, according to Curbed. The permit was denied, but the event was still promoted on social media.
In total, seven Santas were arrested for public drunkenness throughout the event.
Anyone who has information about any of these incidents is encouraged to contact SFPD via the department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444, or text TIP411 with "SFPD" at the start of the message.
