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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The San Francisco Police Chief apologized Friday for searching the home and office of a freelance journalist to find out who had leaked a police report on the unexpected death of the former public defender from the city.
Chief William Scott told the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday that the raids were probably illegal and said, "I'm sorry it happened."
California's shield law protects journalists from search warrants, and the US Supreme Court has ruled that journalists are free to report press-related information contained in stolen documents.
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The warrants being under seal, it is unclear what information the police provided to support the searches and to what extent they revealed that Bryan Carmody was a journalist.
Scott testified that he reviewed all the documents related to the searches and was concerned that the initial warrants did not adequately identify Carmody as a journalist.
"The description of what his role involves as a journalist – there should have been more clarity in there," Scott said. "This is going to be a concern that needs to be explored further."
Carmody was handcuffed for six hours on May 10, when forensic gunmen were looking for evidence to determine who had provided a confidential police report on the death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi after refusing to reveal its source.
This case alarmed defenders of journalism and put pressure on politically liberal politicians to defend the press.
Scott first defended the raid by informing the city's police commission that his department had followed the proper court procedure.
On Tuesday, Scott said that Carmody "crossed the line" and suspected the journalist of having participated in a criminal plot to steal an internal police report, motivated by profit or animosity towards Adachi.
Carmody stated that he had not paid the report nor conspired to steal it, but that he had simply acquired it as part of his journalistic work.
The mayor of London Breed had called for the opening of an independent investigation into how the police had handled the leak and internal affairs investigation, which could lead to disciplinary action at the local level. against agents.
Scott said the ministry will not use any evidence seized during the raids.
The rapporteurs and the other organizations of the First Amendment want a judge to cancel the search warrants allowing the searches and to unlock the documents submitted for their support.
"We are encouraged by the chief's apology, but we believe that a real reform is needed here," said Carmody's attorney Ben Berkowitz. "The city must take steps to ensure that nothing like this happens again for journalists."
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