Two days after graduating from the SFPD Academy, rookie officer Ryan Kwong was arrested for DUI following a crash in the Outer Sunset that injured five people, including one critically.

The crash happened around 1:59 am Saturday in the area of Sunset Boulevard and Rivera Street. 28-year-old Officer Ryan Kwong was driving with one other person in the car when he allegedly crashed into a minivan carrying three people, according to police. The three people in the victim vehicle were injured, one of them critically. Kwong and his passenger also sustained non-life threatening injuries.

As KTVU reports, Kwong was arrested at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence and causing a crash with injuries.

According to the Chronicle, this crash happened just two days after Kwong graduated from the San Francisco Police Academy,


Photos posted online, some by Supervisor Joel Engardio, showed one vehicle smashed into a concrete light pole, which had to be deactivated by emergency crews before the scene could be cleared. The other car, a sedan, was shown with a crumpled front end.

Rear end accident on Sunset
byu/JJonVinyl insanfrancisco

The SFPD confirmed he was off duty at the time and had not yet completed his field training. The investigation is ongoing, and police are urging witnesses to come forward.


"No one is above the law and anyone responsible for a high velocity DUI crash must be held accountable," Engardio said in his tweet, after learning the news that Kwong had just graduated the police academy.

Engardio also noted that "The PUC had to first disable the electricity to a light pole and remove the pole that one car crashed into and toppled."

"This incident was incredibly tragic, and my heart goes out to the injured victims," said SFPD Chief Bill Scott, in a statement. "We will do everything in our power to ensure justice is served in this case. No one is above the law, and our officers know they are expected to obey the law, as well as our strict code of conduct even while off duty."

Mayor Daniel Lurie also issued a statement about the incident and Kwong's arrest.

"My thoughts are with those injured in this incredibly upsetting incident," Lurie said. "Our police officers work hard to keep San Franciscans safe, and we expect them to follow the law on and off duty-no exceptions. Thank you to the officers who responded immediately."

The San Francisco Police Officers Association, the police officers' union, put out a statement, saying, "There is no excuse for drunk driving, especially for police officers. If the allegations are true, he should be held fully accountable for his actions and the harm he’s caused."

The crash comes as city leaders weigh proposals to shorten the SFPD Academy’s training period to address staffing shortages.

Image via Reddit