Elaine Brown sues SFPD over West Oakland apartment raid

A federal lawsuit has been filed against the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) by former Black Panther leader Elaine Brown and her affordable housing company, 7th & Campbell LLC. The suit alleges that SFPD officers engaged in a “military-style, violent ransacking” of the Black Panther Apartments in West Oakland during a raid in May.

The incident began after officers arrested an 18-year-old suspect for suspected robbery near the building. Although the suspect did not live at the complex, officers obtained a warrant to search a fifth-floor apartment occupied by the suspect’s girlfriend. The lawsuit claims that plainclothes officers in unmarked vehicles used a battering ram to smash through the building’s glass entrance after staff repeatedly requested to see a warrant.

Additional allegations in the suit include the physical assault and arrest of security guard Shawn Johnson for obstruction, a charge that was later dismissed. Building manager Misty Cross also reported that a copy of the warrant was only provided to the tenant after the search was completed. The warrant was reportedly seeking clothing and a metal chain related to prior robberies. Officers seized a jacket and shoes from the apartment during the search.