An incident on San Francisco's Embarcadero that led to the arrest of a hot dog vendor and has since gone viral was clarified by the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) in a series of statements released on social media. The viral video in question showed a woman being arrested by SFPD officers, eliciting highly emotional reactions online. However, the SFPD claims the video misleadingly omits critical context preceding the arrest, suggesting an attempt by individuals to undermine city law enforcement efforts. According to the San Francisco Police Department, the video fails to show the woman committing a battery on a San Francisco Port employee and resisting police officers before being handcuffed.
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT 🧵
— San Francisco Police (@SFPD) September 11, 2024
A video that has gained widespread attention on social media showing SFPD officers arresting a woman Sunday morning along the Embarcadero appears to be an orchestrated effort by people illegally vending hot dogs to undermine the city’s efforts to…
The situation began when the city's Vending Enforcement Task Force warned a group of unlicensed vendors. An hour later, the task force returned to confiscate their hot dog carts, which led to the altercation. The officers involved were part of a multi-agency operation tasked with enforcing health and safety regulations concerning illegal vending. A woman, allegedly vending without a permit, is said to have engaged in a tug-of-war with a port employee over the cart, leading to a confrontation that turned physical. As SFGATE reports, the port employee sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and the woman was medically assessed at the scene.
Amid the conflict, numerous attempts were made by the officers to de-escalate the confrontation. The body-worn camera footage, which has not been released to the public, reportedly shows the woman striking the Port worker and later resisting arrest. This continued resistance even after she was brought to the ground with a small child, who a witness claimed was instructed to cry near the officers in an attempt to influence the outcome, making a brief appearance in the scene.
The woman was eventually cited for battery and obstructing peace officer duties before being released. San Francisco Police Department expressed concern for the crying child who witnessed the incident and contacted Family Child Services to notify them of the situation.
