SFPD officers were filmed busting through the glass doors of Black Panther Apartments in West Oakland while serving a warrant on a suspect whom they had already arrested — instead of waiting to speak to management.
More than 20 officers from the San Francisco Police Department forced their way into the Black Panther Apartments in West Oakland last Thursday afternoon while serving a warrant connected to an 18-year-old robbery suspect who had already been detained outside the building, according to former Black Panther Elaine Brown, who runs and owns the complex, in a statement on social media.
Brown said the suspect did not live at the complex, and the police officers were aware he was not a resident there.
As KTVU reports, officers were looking for 18-year-old Jamil Butler in connection with two armed robberies in San Francisco. The SFPD said officers arrested Butler near the building after he allegedly tried to flee, and they recovered a firearm from him.
Video obtained by the outlet shows officers threatening to break down the doors before smashing through the entrance.
The building’s resident manager, Misty Cross, who’s a former Moms 4 Housing activist, told KTVU that officers arrived in plain clothes, refused to show security officers a warrant, and would not wait for her to come downstairs before breaking through the building’s glass entrance doors. Brown says officers also handcuffed a security guard on suspicion of obstruction.
Cross explained that some residents initially feared the raid involved federal immigration agents because of the officers’ appearance and the way they approached the property. She said several residents hid inside the building while children were returning home from school.
“During this time, parents and children going in and out of the building had to walk through the smashed glass all over the floor at the front door,” said Brown in her statement.
Per KTVU, the warrant authorized SFPD to search Butler and two locations tied to him, including an apartment inside the complex where police reportedly seized a pair of shoes and a jacket, among other items.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said Saturday she was “deeply concerned” by reports and video of San Francisco police breaking into the affordable housing complex. Lee wrote on social media that she’s been in touch with Brown and the Oakland Police Department about the incident.
“At a moment, when trust between our communities and law enforcement remains fragile, incidents like this raise serious concerns,” says Lee. “I will continue to ask questions and monitor the process.”
According to Local News Matters, the SFPD said officers forced their way into the complex because of “exigent circumstances.” The Oakland Police Department did not respond to questions about whether it authorized or participated in the operation.
Brown filed a formal complaint with the Oakland Police Department against the SFPD alleging that officers’ actions constituted assault, vandalism, and false arrest and imprisonment, and it was a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Brown is demanding the department file criminal charges against the perpetrators.
Speaking to KTVU, Brown referred to the raid as “fascist tactics” and accused officers of using unnecessary force despite already having the suspect in custody.
“While The Black Panther complex, a building with 79, 100% affordable apartments, is a keystone to resurrection of the Black economic power of Harlem West, where Brown’s nonprofit is set to launch five cooperatively owned community businesses,” says Brown’s statement. “Brown believes Oakland is returning to the days of Tom Orloff with the current, appointed DA, and police have become emboldened to follow suit.”
Related: City Council Considers Renaming West Oakland Intersection After Former Black Panther Elaine Brown
Image: Elaine Brown/Facebook
