Man Found Guilty of Tackling, Punching, Trying to Steal the Firearm of SFPD Officer at UN Plaza

A pretty brazen 1 am attack on an on-duty SFPD officer has drawn the exact response you’d expect, and a 31-year-old man is looking at likely serious jail time after being found guilty of three counts of threatening and battering an officer.

We’ve all seen some pretty wild shit go down at Civic Center’s UN Plaza. But have you ever seen someone punch out a cop at UN Plaza, wrestle that cop to the ground, and then attempt to steal his gun? Meet 31-year-old Jonathan Bissell, who was just found guilty of doing exactly this according to the Chronicle, which is likely to ensure his incarceration for a great deal of the foreseeable future.

The incident happened on August 31, 2023. “At around 1 a.m., Jonathan Bissell confronted an SFPD Officer while he was on duty at United Nations Plaza, demanding that he leave his post and threatening to assault him," DA Brooke Jenkins's office said in a Friday press release. "Mr. Bissell told the officer that he had thirty seconds to leave and began counting down with his fists raised."

"While counting, Mr. Bissell abruptly punched the officer in the face and tackled him to the ground," the release continues. "Mr. Bissell and the officer fought for roughly two minutes, while Mr. Bissell attempted to seize the officer’s firearm. When back-up arrived, Mr. Bissell continued to fight and resist."

The press release says that the officer "sustained a head injury from the attack and was transported to San Francisco General Hospital for treatment." We can only image the condition that the suspect Mr. Bissell was left in.

Regardless, DA Brooke Jenkins said in a statement that she appreciated the officers’ service.

“They, like everyone else in our city, deserve to do their work free from random, unprovoked attacks,” Jenkins said. “My office will not tolerate violence against any of our residents, workers, visitors, or public servants.”

Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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