Assistant public defender handcuffed in court hallway files complaint against police officers
Image of Jami Tillotson’s arrest taken from video provided by the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office.
A veteran assistant San Francisco public defender has filed a citizen complaint against the six city police officers involved in her arrest last month in a courthouse hallway.
Although the criminal case was dropped and the police chief apologized, Jami Tillotson said she wasn’t completely satisfied with this resolution, reports the Huffington Post.
“While I appreciate Chief [Greg] Suhr’s apology, I am concerned that he continues to support Sgt. Brian Stansbury’s actions,” said Tillotson in a Thursday written statement, referring to the officer primarily involved in her arrest. “My client, a young African American man, was left without the benefit of advice of counsel. The right to counsel is not a formality. It is a shield that protects ordinary people against intimidation, bullying, and overreach by law enforcement.”
In addition to saying that she should not have been arrested, Tillotson’s complaint alleges that one officer was unreasonably rough with her while she was handcuffed.
“Anyone can file a complaint if they are not satisfied with police services,” said a police spokesman in an email responding to Huffington Post request for comment.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “See the video: PD is handcuffed in court hall for refusing to step aside for police photo of client”
ABAJournal.com: “Case dropped against PD handcuffed in court hall on viral video; ACLU calls for policy review”
