Two people were arrested after being involved in a violent incident that injured two members of Mayor Daniel Lurie’s security team as the mayor was driven through the Tenderloin on Thursday, authorities said.
Lurie was unharmed as the scuffle unfolded in the middle of the street.
“There was an altercation this evening involving the mayor’s security detail. The mayor was not involved,” mayoral spokesperson Charles Lutvak said Friday. “We appreciate our SFPD officers for their quick response and for keeping our city safe every day.”
Firefighters and paramedics responded to Cedar and Larkin streets at 5:41 p.m. to “evaluate 2 police officers who were injured while making an arrest,” a San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson said Friday. Paramedics evaluated the officers, who declined transport to a hospital, the spokesperson added.
In video shared by Mission Local, a man can be seen struggling with a bodyguard dressed in a suit. The bodyguard, a member of the San Francisco Police Department, has his arms wrapped around the man’s head before the two topple to the ground. The guard’s head was bleeding afterward, Mission Local reported (opens in new tab). In the footage, Lurie is seen walking away.
According to Mission Local, there were three men in the road blocking Lurie’s SUV. The mayor exited the car and asked the men to move but one did not comply, which led the bodyguard to get involved, Mission Local reported. The man then “came at” the guard, the site said.
A witness, who shared a photo of additional officers responding to the incident, described the commotion in an email to The Standard.
“Walked past Mayor Daniel Lurie and a suit with him getting into it verbally with two seemingly houseless guys in the alleyway off Larkin near Cedar,” the witness said in an email. “Next thing I know mayor is running past me to his car which was on the corner of Larkin at Post. Driver runs out and him and mayor run back to the alley, where at least one of the guys was now riled up.”
Tony Shervaughn Phillips was arrested by San Francisco police in 2019 on suspicion of homicide but the case was not pursued by the district attorney’s office. | Source: Courtesy San Francisco Police Department
The suspects were identified Friday by the San Francisco Police Department as 44-year-old Tony Phillips and 33-year-old Abraham Simon. Phillips was booked into jail on suspicion of assaulting a peace officer with force likely to cause great bodily injury, battery upon a peace officer, threat to executive officer, resisting a peace officer, petty theft, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Simon was booked on suspicion of resisting a peace officer and for an existing out-of-county misdemeanor warrant for being under the influence of a narcotic.
Phillips was arrested in 2019 on suspicion of murder, but the district attorney’s office declined to pursue a criminal case, citing a lack of evidence (opens in new tab).
Booking records show Phillips was arrested twice in 2025 on multiple charges. In July, he was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, loitering to commit a controlled substance offense, resisting a peace officer, public nuisance, petty theft of lost property, unauthorized lodging and a local misdemeanor warrant. In a subsequent August arrest, he faced similar charges: controlled substance possession, paraphernalia possession, loitering, resisting a peace officer, petty theft of lost property and an outstanding local misdemeanor warrant.
The San Francisco Police Officers Association said officers on the mayor’s security detail acted “swiftly and courageously” to protect Lurie during what the union described as a “dangerous and unpredictable situation.”
“We are relieved to hear that Mayor Lurie was not injured,” said Louis Wong, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association. “We wish our injured officer a full and speedy recovery and commend all involved for their bravery and decisive actions.”
Wong praised the responding officers’ “professionalism and commitment” to protecting the public and city officials, saying their actions exemplified the dedication of San Francisco police officers.