A police chase in SF's SoMa district that led to the death of a man on Monday now has some further details, and it appears the man was being pursued for not charging his ankle monitor.
The man has been identified as 56-year-old Pittsburg resident Edwin Adams, and as the Chronicle reports, Adams was out of custody pending legal proceedings in a criminal case, the nature of which was reportedly non-violent.
A warrant had been issued for Adams after an apparent violation of his release terms, the Chronicle has learned, and that violation was failing to charge his ankle monitor.
Adams's brother, Curtis Adams, lived with him and described him to the Chronicle as a "down-to-earth dude" and father of a seven-year-old daughter whom he loved. Edwin Adams had apparently had several run-ins with San Francisco police in recent months, all of which appear to be drug-related. Curtis Adams also said that his brother had had previous run-ins with undercover officers in SF who would "mess with him."
His most recent booking in jail had been on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance for sale, and he was also booked on suspicion of committing a new offense while having an open case in the city.
The SF Public Defender’s Office, which was representing Adams, put out a statement Wednesday to Mission Local saying. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Adams, whom we proudly represented in connection with non-violent charges he did not yet have a chance to challenge at trial."
The office added, "We hope the city will conduct a thorough and independent investigation into why the police decided to pursue him and what circumstances led to his very troubling death."
Mission Local previously reported that witnesses saw what appeared to be an undercover cop get out of a gray Ford Fusion that had pursued him on Mission Street, and the man took Adams in a "football tackle," allegedly knocking him into the bus shelter. He was then seen lying on the ground in a pool of blood.
Frank Brown, one of three witnesses to the incident, told Mission Local, "We were all saying it was the undercover cops, because who else acts like that?"
The SFPD initially characterized the incident as a scooter riding suspect who "collided with a street fixture and suffered injury" while being pursued.
An investigation is now underway by the district attorney's office, as the Chronicle reports, into whether the SFPD officer's use of force led to Adams's death.
The case is likely to revive debates about the chasing of suspects on city streets, particularly when those suspects are wanted for non-violent offenses, given the potential dangers to the public and the suspects themselves.
Previously: Suspect on Scooter Killed In SFPD Chase In SoMa
