Judge dismisses charges against ICE protester tackled by S.F. police

"Body-cam footage from the June 8 demonstration, reviewed by a judge on Oct. 15, revealed that Leal was taken to the ground by San Francisco police officers and struck with a baton "while yelling at him to move out of the way." The camera footage crucially showed, however, that an SFPD officer "put hands on Leal before he even had a chance to respond," the public defender's office wrote."

"In a press statement, Deputy Public Defender Nuha Abusamra described Leal as a "proud Mexican American who was peacefully protesting in solidarity with the people of Los Angeles and around the Bay Area after the first surge of violence and unlawful ICE raids." It is unclear how many other protesters were charged. More than 200 people were arrested by San Francisco police in two separate protests on June 8 and 9."

"Public Defender Mano Raju called this altercation a "physical attack" that should have never happened. "Mr. Leal put his hands up to protect himself from getting hit with the baton," said Abusamra, "He was not blocking the police when they told him to move, and he was the only person who was injured in this interaction with police." District Attorney Brooke Jenkins had charged Leal with a felony for "allegedly removing an officer's weapon," the public defend"

Luis Leal, an Oakland resident, joined thousands protesting in San Francisco in solidarity with immigrants and against federal raids. He was one of more than 150 arrested during the June 8 demonstration that included eggs, paintballs and hammers thrown at the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement headquarters. A San Francisco trial judge dismissed all charges against Leal after body-camera footage showed officers put hands on him before he could respond, took him to the ground and struck him with a baton. Deputy Public Defender Nuha Abusamra said Leal was peacefully protesting and was injured while protecting himself. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins had charged Leal with a felony alleging he removed an officer's weapon.

Read at Mission Local