San Francisco police raid home, office of journalist in search of leaked Adachi report
San Francisco police raided the home and office of a freelance journalist in search of information that would lead to the source of a leaked police report containing salacious details on the death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi.
San Francisco police and the FBI raided the home of a freelance journalist Friday in search of information that would reveal the source of a leaked police report containing salacious details about the death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi.
Journalist Bryan Carmody said Friday on Twitter the raid was part of a campaign to force him to divulge a confidential source.
“I will not,” he said in a tweet, linking to a news story about the raid.
Officers served the search warrant on Carmody’s home as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into the leaked report, said San Francisco police Officer Joseph Tomlinson. No arrests were made, he said.
My home and business were raided by the SFPD and the FBI today. This is part of a campaign to make me divulge a confidential source. I will not. https://t.co/qa7uNjy4wy
— Bryan C. Carmody (@bryanccarmody) May 11, 2019
“Today’s actions are one step in the process of investigating a potential case of obstruction of justice along with the illegal distribution of a confidential police report,” police said in a statement Friday.
Police reportedly confiscated Carmody’s cell phone and laptop, along with tablets and “every electronic device” he owns, effectively putting him out of business. An independent journalist also known as a stringer, Carmody markets his work to other media organizations.
Aaron Lee, who described himself as a friend of Carmody’s, set up a GoFundMe campaign to replace equipment taken in the raid.
On Twitter, Carmody linked to the fundraising campaign and said, “I’m sorry this needs to be done, but I have no idea when I will get my gear back.”
Adachi, a noted police watchdog and vocal advocate for bail reform, died unexpectedly on Feb. 22 at the age of 59. Although the cause of death was initially reported as a heart attack, the leaked report later revealed cocaine and alcohol may have also played a role.
Adachi’s family and police and government officials sharply criticized the release of the report, details of which were published by several news organizations, as an attempt to smear the late public defender’s reputation.
Bay City News contributed to this report.