Overview
- The San Francisco Department of Police Accountability released its findings Monday that two officers used "unreasonable" and "excessive" force during a July 4, 2024 traffic encounter with driver Matthew Ludwig.
- Video shows an officer smashing the driver’s side window, dragging Ludwig from his car, and another officer pepper‑spraying him at point‑blank range while Ludwig was handcuffed on the sidewalk.
- Investigators say the stop began after an incorrect license‑plate entry led officers to think the car was stolen and that the officers admitted they never signaled a traffic stop before approaching the vehicle.
- The DPA concluded the officers violated multiple SFPD policies, including rules that require directed pepper spray be used from at least 4.5 feet away, and found the reckless‑driving charge was unsubstantiated.
- Ludwig was later charged, lost his car to impound, and died in September 2025 while the case was pending; the DPA report’s release has renewed calls for action even as the SFPD declines comment because of pending litigation and discipline remains unclear.