San Francisco reporter says police raided his home after refusing to identify source

May 13, 2019, 3:41 UTC

By Tim Stelloh

A San Francisco reporter said Sunday that the authorities had shot down the door of his home with a blacksmith's hammer, handcuffed him for hours and seized thousands of dollars in electronics after refusing to reveal a source confidential.

Journalist Bryan Carmody said in an interview that the raid took place on Friday, although police officers from the San Francisco Police Department interviewed him for the first time two weeks ago. Adachi, in February.

The city's medical examiner determined that traces of cocaine and alcohol found in the Adachi system had contributed to a heart attack that killed him.

Carmody, a 49-year-old freelancer, said he sold the leaked report – which contained photos of the apartment where Adachi had been found insensitive – to some local news outlets. After the leak was denounced by elected officials and Adachi's widow, who described it as "odious", a department commander apologized and said the leak manager would held responsible.

When the police arrived at Carmody, he said, "They asked me to give them the source. Of course I refused.

When the authorities returned Friday, Carmody said the officers had a warrant that appeared to indicate that they were looking for the report, referred to as "stolen or diverted property."

Carmody stated that he was handcuffed for seven hours while the officers were taking his equipment and getting another warrant to search his office.

"They took every electronic device I have – every computer, every hard drive, every digital photo I've taken in the last 25 years," he said.

They also took the report, although Carmody stated that the document did not specify the source that provided it.

The San Francisco Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but it provided a statement Friday at NBC Bay Area.

"Today's actions are a step in the process of investigating a potential case of obstruction of justice as well as the illegal distribution of a confidential police report," he said.

The local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists condemned this operation, saying it "showed alarming disregard for the right to gather and report information". which protects journalists who refuse to reveal the identity of a source.

Carmody said that he had good working relationships with the police department for years. Now he just wants to get his equipment back.

"At this point, they have completely shut down my business," he said. "I do not have the equipment to do my job."

Tim Stelloh is a reporter for NBC News, based in California.