Mayoral candidate released
from custody following evaluation
Rebooked on felony threat of terrorism charge
San Francisco mayoral candidate Grasshopper Alec Kaplan was released
from custody earlier today following a psychiatric evaluation
and agreeing with authorities to stay away from Supervisor Ed
Jew. Photo(s) by
Luke Thomas
Felony charges of stalking and threatening a state official were
dropped against a San Francisco mayoral candidate today.
Grasshopper Alec Kaplan was arrested
Sunday outside Supervisor Ed Jew's Sunset District residence
at 2:30 a.m after Jew's wife called police following a disturbance.
Kaplan, who has spent three days in custody, was released from
San Francisco General Hospital this morning following a psychiatric
evaluation and agreeing with authorities to stay away from Jew.
The evaluation prevented Kaplan from appearing in court yesterday
to respond to a reduced charge of two counts of misdemeanor trespassing.
"I was released after I agreed to stay away from Ed Jew,"
Kaplan told Fog City following his release. "I was moved
from county jail to San Francisco General after I refused to eat
non-vegetarian food. Now I have to go to court to explain my absence
and retrieve my impounded taxi."
Kaplan, who is homeless and sleeps in his vehicle, said he has
been parking his purple taxicab on the driveway of Jew's Sunset
District residence because he believes Jew lives in Burlingame.
On at least two occasions Jew has been home when Kaplan has arrived
to spend the night. On both occasions, police were summoned.
His arrest Sunday marked the third time in one week Kaplan has
been arrested. On September 5 Kaplan was arrested for trespassing
after being ejected at the fourth
mayoral debate. On September 6 Kaplan was arrested for blocking
entrances to the Philip Burton Federal Building during an anti-war
protest.
Update 3:21 p.m: Kaplan rearrested and booked on felony
threat of terrorism, false imprisonment, and misdemeanor battery
charges
Kaplan was rearrested at 2:00 p.m. today just hours after being
released from custody. Kaplan told Fog City from jail that he
has been rebooked on charges under felony threat of terrorism,
felony false imprisonment and misdemeanor battery. The new charges
are related to a July 26 incident involving a complaint from a
woman who rode in Kaplan's taxicab between San Francisco International
Airport and San Francisco.
Kaplan said he was rearrested after he went to 850 Bryant Street
to retrieve the ignition key to his impounded taxicab from Lt.
Daniel Mahoney.
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