SF cops 'find' drugs on suspect

SF cops allegedly caught in misconduct on video

San Francisco's public defender's office released a fourth videotape Monday showing alleged police misconduct during a drug bust - evidence, officials claim, that the trouble may not be confined to a handful of rogue cops.

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The most-recent recording, which private defense attorney Scott Sugarman provided to the public defender's office, is different. It shows a man wearing a black jacket walking down Sixth Street while talking on a cell phone, entering the Henry Hotel and walking up the stairs and into a sixth-floor room on Dec. 2.

He is later arrested, Sugarman said, after five police enter and search the room, and find 20 grams of cocaine in the pocket of a white and gold jacket. Officer Gregory Buhagiar, says he saw the suspect wearing the jacket, according to the police report, but Sugarman said the suspect insisted he was not. The suspect's denial is not included in the report.

Sugarman said the case proceeded to a preliminary hearing. He said the district attorney's office dismissed the case on Dec. 22 because of the video evidence, but Sharon Woo, operations chief for the office, said it was dismissed to protect the identity of a confidential informant.

"This represents the scariest thing that can happen to a person in this society: You are in a room where drugs are found, and the officers insist that they are yours," said Adachi.


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