A San Francisco homeless man was fighting for his life Monday after he was struck and injured by a well-known police officer who starred in promotional campaigns for the department.
Officer Mike Petuya, a third-generation cop who was a public face of SFPD’s recruiting efforts, was off-duty and driving a personal vehicle when he hit a homeless man who was sleeping or lying on the ground — leaving him “screaming and yelling,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The collision took place in an alley outside SFPD’s Central Station in the North Beach neighborhood just after 7 a.m.
SFPD confirmed the incident and said it was under investigation, but did not name the officer.
“The driver immediately stopped and contacted emergency responders,” SFPD spokesperson Paulina Henderson said.
“Additional officers arrived on scene and rendered aid to the individual prior to the arrival of SFFD personnel. Paramedics arrived on scene and transported the adult male individual to the hospital where he is in critical condition,” she added.
Petuya is a familiar face in the police force, appearing in videos boosting San Francisco and the department.
He even appeared alongside Mayor Daniel Lurie in one Instagram video about a sports event for kids hosted by law enforcement agencies, concluding with the mayor’s catchphrase, “let’s go, San Francisco!”
“My family has been in San Francisco since 1904 … so this is home,” Petuya said in one video posted by the organization It All Starts Here SF. “I don’t like going anywhere else, I couldn’t imagine living or working anywhere else, and this is home.”
“I look forward to continuing my journey serving the city,” he added.
Petuya has also been a leader at SFPD’s Pride Alliance, a group for LGBTQ police officers, according to city records.
