A naked man who allegedly attacked a police officer remains behind bars today, as investigators seek video taken by members of the public who witnessed the incident.
San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Officer Giselle Talkoff says that the confrontation went down on September 9, on the 3800 block of 25th Street, which is between Dolores and Church Streets.
It was 6:21 a.m., Talkoff says when an SFPD officer responded to reports of "a naked male chasing people and throwing a branch at pedestrians."
Upon arrival, Talkoff says the officer "encountered a partially nude male" later identified as 37-year-old San Diego resident Robert Mathew Kaplan.
Or, as area resident Ryan Goodman described it, "Naked crazy guy terrorizing the neighborhood."
Crazy morning. Naked crazy guy terrorizing the neighborhood. 7 cop cars. 1 injured officer.
— Ryan Goodman (@ryangoodman) September 9, 2016
cc @NoeValleySF pic.twitter.com/KUN7x7C0kp
Talkoff says that Kaplan "was talking to himself," and engaged in "a physical fight" with the responding officer, who "sustained an injury to his right eye after the suspect attempted to gouge out the officer's eye," Talkoff says.
"The officer also sustained a severe bite mark to his right cheek after the suspect bit the officer's face. The officer also sustained cuts to his hands and abrasions to his forearms while trying to restrain the subject."
Talkoff says it took at least three officers to restrain Kaplan, who she characterized as "combative."
Eventually, he was cuffed and placed into custody. He's since, Talkoff says, been charged with "felony battery on a peace officer, felony battery causing serious bodily injury, felony assault with a deadly weapon, felony vandalism, felony aggravated mayhem, and obstructing and resisting a peace officer."
A spokesperson with the San Francisco Sheriff's Department confirms that Kaplan remains in custody as of Thursday morning, even as Mission Station investigators continue to build their case against him. According to Talkoff, police are now "seeking the assistance of the public in providing any cell phone video that may have captured the assault." Any witnesses or those who caught video of the altercation are asked to call the Mission Station Investigation Team during business hours at 415-558-5400, to leave their information anonymously at the SFPD Tip Line at 415-575-4444, or to Text-a-tip to TIP411 after beginning the message with "SFPD."