Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Ryant Bluford
Age : 41
Gender : Male
Race : Black
Date : 07/27/2023
Location : Fairfax+Catalina
City : San Francisco
County : San Francisco
State : California
Agency : San Francisco PD
Officer(s) :Unknown
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police when engaging officers
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 07/27/2023, at approximately 9:45 p.m., San Francisco Police Department plainclothes officers assigned to a violence reduction team were attempting to arrest another individual near Fairfax Avenue and Catalina Street. During the arrest, 41-year-old Ryant Bluford approached the officers. According to the San Francisco Police Department, Bluford was armed with a handgun and became involved in the encounter. Officers fired, striking Bluford multiple times. Officers rendered medical aid until paramedics arrived, but Bluford was pronounced dead at the scene.
The San Francisco Police Department later released body-worn camera footage and surveillance video from the incident. According to the department, officers recovered a loaded handgun from the scene. As required under city policy, the shooting was investigated by the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, the Department of Police Accountability, and the SFPD Internal Affairs Division.
Bluford's family disputed the police account and questioned whether deadly force was necessary. Their attorney argued that the released videos did not clearly show Bluford threatening officers with a firearm before he was shot and called for a full independent review of the evidence. The case drew public attention during meetings of the San Francisco Police Commission, where community members raised concerns about the officers' use of force and the circumstances leading to the shooting.
