San Leandro’s police chief is now the one answering to a criminal charge.
Alameda County prosecutors yesterday filed a misdemeanor hit-and-run case against San Leandro Police Chief Angela Averiett, accusing her of leaving the scene after clipping another driver’s side mirror on Interstate 580 in May 2025. The incident involved an unmarked San Leandro Police Department vehicle assigned to the chief and comes after months of public scrutiny over how the California Highway Patrol initially handled the complaint. Averiett has so far declined to answer reporters’ questions.
According to ABC7, Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson announced the filing of a misdemeanor count alleging that Averiett left the scene after an off-duty collision. ABC7 reports that Averiett told investigators she began experiencing chest pain while stuck in construction traffic, briefly drove in the center median to get home faster and did not go to a hospital afterward. The station also reported that Averiett had been scheduled to speak shortly before the DA’s announcement.
What Happened On I-580
Driver Daffani Ryan says she was headed eastbound on I-580 toward Dublin late one night with her husband and two children when a silver Jeep riding the shoulder veered into her lane and clipped her driver-side mirror. Ryan told reporters the Jeep then briefly flashed police lights in the rear window, shut them off, crossed several lanes and exited the freeway.
Ryan’s husband recorded the license plate, and CHP ran the number. The damage to both vehicles’ mirrors matched, and the plate came back to an unmarked San Leandro police vehicle assigned to Averiett, as reported by SFist.
Investigation Turmoil Inside The Department
Despite the matched damage and plate, the CHP initially declined to file charges, accepting Averiett’s statement that she had no knowledge of the collision. That decision did not sit well with everyone inside San Leandro’s own police ranks.
Internal Affairs Sgt. Mike Olivera reportedly filed a nine-page complaint with the city manager, alleging a “troubling pattern of lack of accountability, selective enforcement, and concealment of violations,” according to SFist. The city’s police officers’ association says the episode has damaged morale.
City officials and the District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new charge, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Legal Stakes For The Chief
Prosecutors charged Averiett under California statutes that cover leaving the scene of a collision that causes property damage. California Vehicle Code §20002 governs hit-and-run incidents where only property is harmed.
A misdemeanor conviction under that section can bring county jail time, fines and driver’s license or DMV consequences. In practice, penalties can include up to six months in county jail, as outlined by Justia and the Judicial Council of California’s bail and penalty schedules. Prosecutors say they typically rely on evidence such as matching vehicle damage, license plate checks and witness statements to show a driver knew, or reasonably should have known, that a collision occurred.
What Comes Next
Averiett was expected to make a public statement shortly before the DA’s announcement, and the timing of her first court appearance will turn on the formal charging documents, per ABC7. Those filings will set an arraignment date and outline the full allegations.
The case has already sparked internal complaints and renewed scrutiny of how San Leandro police leadership handles alleged misconduct within its own ranks. Expect the chief’s legal troubles to surface at upcoming city oversight hearings and public meetings, where residents and officers alike will be watching how the city responds when its top cop is the one in the hot seat.
We will update this story as charging documents and hearing dates are posted by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
