Officers pepper sprayed and violently arrested a man after entering the wrong license plate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 10, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT: PDR-MediaRelations@sfgov.org
**PRESS RELEASE**
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Department of Police Accountability (DPA) found that two SFPD officers used unnecessary force and violated multiple police policies when they violently dragged Matthew Ludwig out of his car, threw him to the ground, and pepper sprayed him on July 4, 2024. Officers had entered the wrong license plate number into their computer, leading them to believe that Ludwig was driving a stolen car. Instead of activating their lights to initiate a traffic stop, police jumped out of their car behind Ludwig at a red light and smashed his window before assaulting and arresting him. After Ludwig was in custody, the officers realized their mistake, but the District Attorney’s Office charged Ludwig with reckless driving and resisting arrest, based on the officers’ initial claims. The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office defended Ludwig against the charges and its Integrity Unit filed a DPA complaint on his behalf in May 2025. Prosecutors refused to drop the case, and only did so after Ludwig passed away in September 2025. DPA reported its findings of officer misconduct in March 2026.
“Nothing justifies the amount of violence that SFPD officers used on Mr. Ludwig, especially when it stemmed from their own mistake,” said Brian Cox, who leads the SF Public Defender’s Office Integrity Unit. “This case shows how easily police can wrongfully target someone, unnecessarily escalate an encounter, and take away that person’s freedom. Police officers wield immense authority over the public and should be held to the highest professional standards, which is why we filed this complaint on behalf of Mr. Ludwig. Tragically, he is not alive to see that DPA confirmed that he was grossly mistreated by police. But he showed tremendous courage in exposing this misconduct.”
DPA investigates complaints against officers and reports to the San Francisco Police Commission. It issues reports on whether officers violated policies. Once the DPA sustains a misconduct allegation, SFPD or the Commission may impose discipline, depending on the severity of the violation.
Around 11:30 p.m. on July 4, 2024, the officers saw Ludwig, entered his license plate number incorrectly into their computer system, and began following him based on the false assumption that Ludwig was driving a stolen car. At O’Farrell Street, Ludwig stopped at a red light, and the officers stopped behind him. Neither officer rechecked the license plate. Officers did not activate their lights, order Ludwig to pull over, nor check if his car door was unlocked. Instead, one of the officers raced to Ludwig’s car, smashed his window with a baton, opened the unlocked door, and pulled him out onto the ground by the hood of his sweatshirt. Ludwig, whose left arm was pinned beneath him, moved his right arm slightly to brace himself against the pavement. One of the officers threatened to pepper spray Ludwig if he did not bend his right arm behind his back, and the other officer briefly placed his right knee on Ludwig’s head. Seconds later, one of the officers pepper sprayed Ludwig in the face, and the officers handcuffed him.
Only after Ludwig was handcuffed did the officers realize that they had entered his license plate incorrectly. Nevertheless, they arrested and booked Ludwig into jail. Ludwig could not afford the impound fee necessary to recover his car, and the city sold it at auction. Prosecutors subsequently charged him with reckless driving and resisting arrest. Their final offer to Ludwig’s defense team was diversion, which allows an individual to avoid a criminal conviction while still taking accountability for what they’ve done wrong. But Ludwig hadn’t done anything wrong.
“The officers involved in this have no idea the harm that their actions caused,” said Deputy Public Defender Brandon Coleman, who represented Ludwig. “As a result of this, he lost virtually everything that he owned. His car and all the property he had in it was impounded. What little property he had left was lost when the RV that he shared with his girlfriend was towed just a few days later. He told me that he felt like this world lacked compassion for human life and that he had never been given a fair chance in life.”
The DPA found that the officers had committed “improper conduct” by improperly using pepper spray, citing Ludwig without cause, and for the violent force they inflicted upon him.
“The DPA investigated and sustained multiple police abuses that Mr. Ludwig suffered. I call on SFPD leadership and the city’s Police Commission to act on these findings and implement every available measure to prevent future misconduct,” said San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju. “I commend Mr. Ludwig’s bravery for working with our office’s Integrity Unit to bring these abuses to light. Our Integrity Unit plays a critical role in upholding the rights of San Franciscans who are abused by police and unfairly criminalized by prosecutors.”
The DPA’s findings can be found here. The SF Public Defender’s Office complaint about how police treated him can be found here, and body-worn police camera footage of Ludwig’s arrest can be found here.
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