A 44-year-old homeless man accused of attacking a member of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s security detail is back in custody after authorities say he violated a court order just days after being released, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
Tony Phillips was initially arrested following a March 5 confrontation involving police officer Joel Aguayo, who was assigned to Lurie’s security team.
The altercation, which took place near Cedar Street close to the Tenderloin district, was captured on video and showed Aguayo shoving Phillips into a pile of trash while the mayor stood nearby.
BREAKING: San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie Walks Away as Security Officer Is Slammed to Ground, Left Bleeding in Viral Tenderloin Attack Videopic.twitter.com/vG4RbifgI7 [2]
— TaraBull (@TaraBull) March 6, 2026 [3]
The incident drew attention after Judge Sylvia Husing ordered Phillips’ release, ruling that the mayor’s security detail had “violently attacked” and instigated the confrontation.
Following that decision, Phillips pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges, including resisting an officer, assaulting an officer with force likely to cause great bodily injury, and violating a court-ordered stay-away order.
He is scheduled to appear in court on April 15.
According to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle, Phillips was taken back into custody Monday morning and booked into the San Francisco County Jail after allegedly violating that court order.
Police reportedly encountered Phillips while checking homelessness encampments at the intersection of Larkin and Cedar streets, citing information from the San Francisco Police Department.
Details from a police report obtained by the San Francisco Standard indicate that the confrontation began when Mayor Lurie directed his security detail to stop near Cedar Street.
The report states that Lurie exited his vehicle and approached a group of homeless individuals seated on the sidewalk, asking them to move.
“On whose behalf do I need to move?” Phillips asked, according to the report, before becoming “argumentative.”
The report also states that Phillips told Aguayo, “I’ll Bruce Lee kick your ass,” prior to the physical altercation.
Officer Aguayo sustained injuries during the incident, including cuts to the back of his head, bruising to his face, and a back injury.
Homeless man accused of attacking #SanFrancisco [4] Mayor Daniel Lurie’s bodyguard has been *released* after a judge claimed the bodyguard instigated the incident. Judge Sylvia Husing claims Tony Phillips was “violently attacked” by the bodyguard.
“The mayor lured his security… pic.twitter.com/20vtEZjhH3 [5]
— Pisklauren (@pisklauren) March 13, 2026 [6]
Mayor Lurie later addressed the situation in an Instagram video, explaining his approach to engaging with conditions on the city’s streets. “you can’t solve what you can’t see,” he said, describing why he regularly walks through neighborhoods.
“I will continue talking to our families, small business owners, and residents and staying laser focused on public safety and transforming our approach to homelessness and the behavioral health crisis,” Lurie added.
Phillips has a prior arrest history that includes being taken into custody in 2019 on suspicion of murder following a stabbing incident. However, no charges were filed in that case due to a lack of evidence.
The latest arrest adds another development to an incident that has drawn scrutiny over how the confrontation unfolded, as well as the handling of the case following Phillips’ initial release.