CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : Chief Admits Error in Handling Protest
- Share via
Calling last month’s police sweep of San Francisco’s Castro District a mistake, Police Chief Frank Jordan has ordered a drastic, top-level shake-up of the tactical squad, including plans to discipline his brother, Deputy Chief John Jordan. One startling revision involved stripping the squad of crowd control, one of its regular higher-profile functions. “Civil disobedience did occur,” the chief said of an Oct. 6 demonstration protesting government policies on the AIDS epidemic. He admitted, however, that police response to the protest, including a clubbing, was “inappropriate” and reflected a command breakdown. The departmental shake-up came after weeks of bitter protests from leaders of the gay community.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
