Former DPW Head Mohammed Nuru Arrested For Allegedly Pulling Knife On Someone

Image: @MrCleanSF via Twitter

The latest twist in the DPW/public corruption/Mohammed Nuru scandal literally involves a knife. Ed Lee’s handpicked SF Public Works successor Mohammed Nuru has been arrested for alleged robbery and pulling a knife on someone Wednesday morning, according to KGO. The alleged incident occurred at the SF-Marin Food Bank facility in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood.

Apparently the knife he was seen brandishing was a kitchen knife.

Will update as I get more details: https://t.co/zbwRUjJx5v #SanFrancisco

— Dion Lim (@DionLimTV) June 2, 2021

KGO reports that “According to [SF-Marin Food Bank communications manager Keely] Hopkins, there was someone eating potato chips in the break room when Nuru approached with a kitchen knife, like the ones they use at the food bank. The person felt threatened and called the police, she said.” That report adds that “no one was hurt and the other volunteers were sent home. No one else witnessed the incident.”

Mohammed Nuru being investigated for robbery after allegedly brandishing knife and demanding victim's property, police said. https://t.co/1EBoHt3MuU

— Megan Cassidy (@meganrcassidy) June 2, 2021

According to the Chronicle, “Police said officers located Nuru and took him into custody, but officials did not confirm whether they formally arrested him. The police department’s robbery unit is handling the investigation. As of Wednesday afternoon, San Francisco’s jail records did not list Nuru as an inmate.”

A December 2020 Heather Knight article in the Chronicle noted that Nuru had been volunteering at the Food Bank, and when asked, Nurru “said he has volunteered with the food bank five days a week for seven months because he has nothing else to do, and then he walked off to pack carrots.”

Calls to SFPD regarding former DPW boss Mohammed Nuru's alleged arrest today for brandishing a knife at the food bank (where he purportedly volunteers) induced this somewhat cryptic reply.

Nuru also does not (yet) show up as an inmate in any SF jail. https://t.co/nOyVAtZ0Wo pic.twitter.com/ucWtiswurf

— Joe Eskenazi (@EskSF) June 2, 2021

Mission Local’s Joe Eskenazi got the “somewhat cryptic reply” above when reaching out to the SFPD for comment. “On Wednesday, June 2, 2021, at approximately 11:18 a.m., San Francisco Police officers from Bayview Station responded to the 1000 block of Marin Street regarding a person with a knife. Officer met with the victim who told officers he was approached by an adult male suspect who produced a knife and demanded the victim’s property. Fearing for his safety the victim left the area and notified police.” 

So I called Da Mayor, Willie Brown, to ask if he was aware of any signs of Nuru's behavior that may have led to this.

"I have no idea" why Nuru would do this, Brown said.

But, Brown added "I would tell you, his retirement benefits would more than take care of a bag of chips." https://t.co/n3GdHaGjRI

— Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez (@FitzTheReporter) June 2, 2021

Former mayor Willie Brown told the Nob Hill Gazette in April 2020 that he was helping pay Nuru’s attorney fees, saying, “he’s not a rich man. He’s got a criminal defense; I am contributing to his criminal defense budget.” 

After today’s incident, there may be more legal fees to come.

Here it is:
Mohammed Nuru, 58, booked on 2nd Degree Robbery charges at 4:44 p.m. https://t.co/0XGhvgEbOu pic.twitter.com/OmeXHsDRF1

— Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez (@FitzTheReporter) June 3, 2021

UPDATE: Nuru is indeed in County Jail 1 on a charge of second degree robbery.