After San Francisco police officers got into a shootout May 31 with Norris Reed III in the Bayview, the department held a virtual town hall (opens in new tab) to explain to the public what happened.
At the meeting 10 days later, San Francisco Police Department brass made statements and showed footage of the incident, which left two officers critically injured, from body-worn cameras. Members of the public were able to comment and ask questions.
Since 2021, public meetings (opens in new tab) following officer-involved shootings have been official department policy, a result of collaborative reform efforts between the SFPD, the federal government, and the state. The town halls were a key priority of the reform program, which was based on nationally recognized best practices that build trust with the public, increase transparency, and clarify facts.
But 10 days after the Oct. 12 death of Edwin Adams (opens in new tab), who died in a crash after fleeing from police on an electric scooter in SoMa, there will be no such meeting.
According to the SFPD, Adams was wanted on an outstanding warrant, and officers identified him on 8th and Mission streets. He fled on his scooter when officers tried to stop him, then crashed and died at the scene, the department said.
Adams’ former defense attorneys say he was wearing an ankle monitor that had run out of batteries (opens in new tab), and the warrant was issued in response. Witnesses told Mission Local (opens in new tab) they saw officers tackle Adams into a bus shelter, where he struck his head on a metal pole.
The SFPD said it will not be holding a town hall to clear up outstanding questions about the circumstances of Adams’ pursuit and death since the incident did not involve the discharge of a firearm. The department has not issued a response to the witness claims.
Police Commissioner Kevin Benedicto believes there should be a public meeting, arguing that a core reason they’re organized after police shootings is to dispel misinformation.
“When there is an incident where there’s a loss of life or there’s substantial impact on the community … it’s important that SFPD follow those practices and provide information and a forum for the public through a town hall,” Benedicto said.
SFPD Risk Management Captain Thomas Harvey leads a virtual town hall following a May 31 shooting. | Source: Courtesy SFPD
The investigation into Adams’ death is ongoing, but a town hall could answer several questions. Did Adams fall or was he tackled? If he was tackled, was it a reportable use of force? How many officers were involved? Does the department consider this an in-custody death? If not, why?
Angela Chan, assistant chief attorney at the public defender’s office and a former police commissioner, said Adams’ case is a clear example of why the department should hold such meetings.
“I think it’s definitely a step back, because these town halls serve the public, but they also serve SFPD because they use it as a channel as to what happened,” she said.
The decision reflects a broader retreat from a practice that was once standard. Rules approved by the Police Commission that took effect in February (opens in new tab) no longer require town halls after shootings, part of a broader turn away from police reform measures. Since 2016, there have been at least 25 town halls following police shootings, including four in 2025 and one this year, in the case of Reed.
Chan said former police chief and District Attorney George Gascón started the practice.
“It was a space where people who were concerned could come out and directly talk to the command staff,” she said. “If a shooting occurred, they knew they couldn’t sweep things under the rug. It was a step they knew they had to take.”
‘Town halls serve the public, but they also serve SFPD because they use it as a channel as to what happened.’
Angela Chan, assistant chief attorney at the public defender’s office
Many of the early meetings were raucous and hard to control, but the department continued holding them in person until the pandemic; they have been virtual since then. In 2022, then-Chief Bill Scott laid out the purpose of the commitment at one such meeting.
“We work to earn the trust of those we serve by committing to transparency and to the tenets of procedural justice — in this process, and in this Town Hall presentation,” he said.
The SFPD can still call a town hall. Chief Derrick Lew has announced that a public meeting about the police response to the Trans March will be conducted Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. at SFPD headquarters. That scheduled date, nearly five months after the June incident, came after intense pressure from elected officials and activists.