SFPD officer arrested, accused of major DUI crash days after graduating academy
A San Francisco police officer was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of causing a car crash just two days after graduating from the police academy.
Ryan Kwong, 28, was booked into San Francisco county jail on suspicion of a number of drunken driving felonies, jail records show.
The crash occurred on Sunset Boulevard between Santiago and Rivera streets shortly before 2 a.m. Police said Kwong slammed into a car carrying three adults. All were taken to a local hospital. One of the occupants suffered life-threatening injuries, according to an SFPD statement, the two others were not as severely injured.
Paramedics took Kwong and another adult in the car he was driving to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Witnesses posted photos of the crash Saturday morning on Reddit showing a badly damaged minivan that had slammed into a light pole, mangling it. A second vehicle, a sedan, was also on the scene, with a smashed in hood.
Kwong graduated from the department's training academy Thursday, according to the SFPD.
The incident comes as the department is struggling to recruit cadets to fill its academy classes, and just days after Mayor Daniel Lurie called for a review of the SFPD academy to 'improve graduation rates without compromising standards.'
'This incident was incredibly tragic, and my heart goes out to the injured victims,' Police Chief Bill Scott said in an emailed statement. 'We will do everything in our power to ensure justice is served in this case. No one is above the law, and our officers know they are expected to obey the law, as well as our strict code of conduct even while off duty.'
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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