Bay Area mayor says he was punched in chest after ‘heated’ conversation with man about San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee spoke to the media on Monday, Sept. 3, 2018, two days after he announced he had been punched by a homeless man. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee spoke to the media on Monday, Sept. 3, 2018, two days after he announced he had been punched by a homeless man. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee says he was punched in chest after ‘heated’ conversation with man about San Francisco 1 / 29 Back to Gallery
The mayor of San Francisco was punched in the chest by a homeless man last week after having a heated exchange with him about their city, according to the two people who were with the mayor at the time.
They described the blow as being hard enough to leave a mark on Lee’s chest but not enough to break it open.
The mayor learned about the attack Monday from the two people who were with him at the time, San Francisco Chronicle public safety reporter Tim Redmond and CBS Local San Francisco reporter David Caruso, who reported on the story. Lee declined to go on camera and would not answer questions from reporters at a press conference on the steps of City Hall.
“I do not want to go into details,” he said, before adding, “This has been very much a traumatic and painful incident for all involved.”
The mayor’s spokeswoman, Sarah McGarry, called the attack on Lee “unfortunate” but said city officials continue to investigate the incident.
“The mayor will be addressing the incident in greater detail and releasing more details for public consumption once he’s had an opportunity to speak with the San Francisco Police Department,” she said.
Police said Monday afternoon that they are investigating the case, and they did not release any additional information about the assault.
The Chronicle’s investigation published Monday found that Lee and the two people who were with him — Lee’s friend and deputy mayor, Willie Brown, and a man named James Nogues, who were walking by Lee and his group of friends on Sunday morning when he noticed the homeless man.
“The homeless man who approached Mayor Lee and his group of friends