Office of Citizen Complaints charges two officer with neglect of duty

By Adam Martin, Bay City News Service

February 24, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) -- The San Francisco Office of Citizen Complaints has filed charges with the Police Commission against two more officers involved in a car chase on June 29, 2004, that ended in police fatally shooting Gustavus Rugley, 21, of Daly City.

Officers Michael Lewis and Sylvia Morrow both face charges of neglect of duty for allegedly improperly participating in the chase.

On June 29, according to charging documents, a team of officers had Rugley under surveillance when he became aware of their presence and tried to escape. The officers chased him in their unmarked cars before stopping him, according to the documents.

According to police reports given to the Police Commission in 2004, Rugley pointed his gun at 14 officers and emptied two clips before the officers shot him to death.

Lewis and Morrow are not being charged with improper conduct in relation to the shooting, but rather the chase that preceded it.

Four other officers were charged by the OCC on Feb. 13 in connection with that chase and events that took place immediately after Rugley's shooting. Officers Richard Alves, David Seid and Arthur Gabac all face neglect of duty charges. Their superior, Inspector Mark Gamble, faces two neglect of duty charges and one unwarranted action charge.

Gamble allegedly held Rugley's mother handcuffed in the back of a patrol car for more than an hour after the shooting, according to charging documents. He allegedly did not place her under arrest or provide any reason for her detainment.

The cases against Alves, Seid, Gabac and Gamble were assigned to individual commissioners at Wednesday's Police Commission meeting. Lewis' and Morrow's cases will be assigned at the next meeting on March 1.

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