The San Francisco Department of Police Accountability found that two officers used unnecessary force and violated department policies while arresting Matthew Ludwig in 2024 after an officer entered the wrong license plate number into a police database, leading them to mistakenly believe Ludwig was driving a stolen car. Body camera video showed the officers breaking Ludwig's car window, pulling him from the vehicle, and throwing him to the ground. They then pepper-sprayed him from inches away, even though the required minimum distance for pepper spray is more than four feet. The officers eventually discovered their mistake but still recommended that Ludwig be charged with resisting arrest. They also impounded his vehicle and later auctioned it off when he could not afford the fines to recover it. The department's findings were sent to the San Francisco Police Commission, which may discipline the officers. Ludwig, meanwhile, died in 2025.
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