Press Release: Denouncing the Use of Force Against an African American Woman in Richmond District Following Jaywalking Incident

For immediate release by the San Francisco NAACP Youth Council, San Francisco Business and Professional Women Club, and the Harriet Tubman African-American Democratic Club of San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The San Francisco NAACP Youth Council strongly condemns the recent use of excessive force by the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) against Christiana Porter, a 34-year-old African American mother of five, who was violently arrested on July 29, 2024, after being stopped for jaywalking. The incident, captured on video, shows SFPD officer McFall slamming Porter into a wall shortly after initiating the stop, even before any other officers arrived.

Ms. Porter was initially approached by Officer McFall for an alleged jaywalking violation, an infraction that has been largely decriminalized under California’s Freedom to Walk Act (AB 2147). Despite the Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2023, and decriminalizes jaywalking unless a pedestrian creates an immediate hazard, the encounter quickly escalated into violence. The video shows three additional officers joining McFall and forcefully pushing Porter against the wall, despite her compliance and lack of resistance.

The force used by the officers resulted in Ms. Porter suffering a concussion and a separated shoulder. Initial reports also mentioned torn ligaments; however, this detail is still under verification.

On Monday, August 12, 2024, civil rights attorneys representing Ms. Porter, from the Oakland-based firm Pointer & Buelna, filed a claim with the City of San Francisco, alleging excessive use of force by the police officers involved in the arrest.

“The Freedom to Walk Act was intended to protect all Californians, particularly communities of color, from unjust police harassment and violence,” said Cheryl Thornton, Youth Advisor for the San Francisco NAACP Youth Council. “Ms. Porter’s violent arrest over a jaywalking allegation starkly highlights the ongoing issues within the SFPD, particularly their disproportionate use of force against African American residents.”

The San Francisco NAACP Youth Council, the San Francisco Business and Professional Women Inc., and the Harriet Tubman African-American Democratic Club of San Francisco call for a comprehensive investigation into this incident and urge city leaders to enforce stronger reforms within the SFPD. The organizations also demand that the SFPD be held accountable for any violations of state law and unnecessary use of force that disproportionately impacts African Americans and other communities of color.