Video shows SFPD officer lunged at scooter rider before fatal crash in SoMa

Mission Local reported that a newly obtained surveillance video shows a San Francisco police officer lunging at Edwin Adams, a scooter rider, with a football-style tackle seconds before Adams fatally crashed on October 12 in SoMa.

Adams, 56, was riding an electric scooter and fleeing from police officers who were pursuing him because he was wanted on a warrant for allegedly failing to charge his ankle monitor, according to Mission Local.

The initial police statement did not mention any officer involvement in Adams' death, only noting that he collided with a street fixture. Witnesses, however, told Mission Local that Adams died after being tackled off his scooter by police.

The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office began investigating Adams' death after Mission Local's reporting and witness accounts that differed from police statements. The crash happened near a bus stop at Mission and Eighth streets, where the video was captured by a surveillance camera.

The Public Defender’s Office obtained the footage and confirmed the officer's tackle, which had not been disclosed in the initial police statements. This development raises questions about the circumstances leading to Adams' fatal injury.

Mission Local continues to cover the story as the investigation progresses, highlighting discrepancies between police reports and witness accounts.