California

Man brutally beats bystander after standoff with driverless car, California cops say

A man who blocked and shouted at a driverless Waymo car later brutally beat a bystander who told him to let it go, California police reported.

The incident took place around 1 a.m. July 5 on the 2300 block of Buchanan Street, San Francisco police said in a Tuesday, July 16, news release.

A video posted with the release shows a man carrying a grocery bag blocking a driverless Waymo car with a passenger inside in the street.

“What are you going to do? I want to see it,” the man shouts at the car. “Come on, Waymo. Give me something to work with.”

He also bangs on the hood of the car, yelling ““Hey, come on, let’s work for each other. … You’re no better than me,” the video shows.

“Unsafe behavior detected,” the Waymo responds.

A bystander, who police described as “cognitively impaired” and “visibly disabled,” filmed the exchange, police said in the release.

When he suggested the man let the driverless car continue on its way, the man lunged at him, causing him to fall to the pavement, and then beat him, police said.

The bystander suffered a fractured skull and other life-threatening injuries, police said.

Police described the attacker as “approximately 25 to 30 years old, medium complexion with facial hair. He was last seen wearing a dark backward baseball cap, black jacket, blue shirt, light blue jeans, white sneakers, and carrying a white bag.”

They ask anyone with information to call 1-415-575-4444. Callers may remain anonymous.

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Don Sweeney
The Sacramento Bee
Don Sweeney has been a newspaper reporter and editor in California for more than 35 years. He is a service reporter based at The Sacramento Bee.
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