The Bay Area Police Chief claims she was suffering from a medical emergency when she sideswiped a vehicle occupied by a family, and didn’t stop. Now, she faces hit-and-run charges.
San Leandro Police Chief Angela Averiett was reportedly returning home from a city council meeting when she thought she was experiencing a “medical emergency.”
Activating police lights on her unmarked Jeep, she exited Interstate 580 after feeling chest pains. Averiett then clipped a vehicle near the center median, according to the authorities.
Averiett said she was not aware that she had sideswiped another vehicle because the damage was minimal.
Averiett Defends Her Actions in Public
According to a report by the New York Post, Averiett reportedly told California Highway Patrol officers that her chest pains eventually subsided.
CHP investigators did not file hit-and-run charges at that time, given Averiett’s version of the story that she was unaware of making contact with another car. This, despite the visible damage on both vehicles in question.
Averiett was placed on administrative leave on Wednesday after speaking publicly at a press conference about the incident. She said:
“I am aware that a misdemeanor charge has been filed related to a traffic incident that occurred in May of 2025. I was driving an unmarked police vehicle on Interstate 580 when contact was allegedly made with another vehicle. The CHP responded, investigated, and did not find cause to issue a citation.”
Victim Alleges San Leandro Police Lieutenant Offered to Pay for Damages
Averiett allegedly sideswiped Daffani Ryan’s vehicle while she was heading home from a San Francisco Giants game with her husband and two children.
Ryan called 911 after the incident. As the investigation took its own course, she alleged that a San Leandro police lieutenant made her an offer, but on the condition that she stopped pursuing the case.
The report alleges that Antwinette Turner, who is now a deputy chief with Bay Area Rapid Transit, contacted her and offered to pay for the vehicle damage if she chose not to report the incident.
This has become highly controversial, given the offer made by a police lieutenant. The incident itself is reportedly a matter of dispute within the San Leandro Police Department.
Notably, Sgt. Mike Olivera filed a nine-page complaint accusing Averiett of a “troubling pattern of lack of accountability, selective enforcement and concealment of violations,” earlier this year.
However, an attorney representing the San Leandro Police Officers’ Association, Mike Rains, said he believes Averiett received special treatment.
Union members say morale within the department has been low, with officers questioning whether rank-and-file officers would have been treated the same way, hinting that the rules are applied differently depending on the rank of the officer involved.
The Alameda County District Attorney announced charges this week against Averiett.
New York Police Officer has 547 Violation Tickets to his Plate
In other recent news, where a police officer’s acts have been questioned, traffic cameras across Staten Island have picked up officer James Giovansanti’s Ram 1500 pickup truck more than 500 times since 2022, and the total fine amount is worth over $36,000.
In 2025, his Ram was picked up for 187 violations alone, accounting for almost one every day. Committing nearly one traffic violation per day raises serious questions about Giovansanti’s driving behavior.
Guessing Headlights reported the matter, highlighting several clusters around Staten Island where Giovansanti’s license plate was recorded by speed cameras, including dense residential areas and schools.
Streetsblog reporters repeatedly attempted to get in touch with Giovansanti, but the officer refused to talk to them.