When retired San Francisco Police Department Sgt. Shaughn Ryan (opens in new tab) took the stand Nov. 18 in a quadruple murder case, he was in rough shape. The former cop, whom prosecutors had flown in from his home in Australia, was found drunk and bloodied on an Embarcadero sidewalk just four days prior, according to police documents and a witness.
Ryan’s sworn testimony before Judge Brendan Conroy centered on Sauntek Harris, who prosecutors say committed one murder in 2019 and three in 2002. One of the murder victims had seen Harris kill a man, prosecutors allege.
Ryan was set to testify that Harris, a former gang leader, had admitted guilt for one of the killings in 2002. However, his testimony about his relationship with Harris could jeopardize a case that investigators have been building for decades. It also called into question District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ decision to bring the quadruple murder case against Harris, while relying upon witness testimony from a rogue officer who several police sources believe broke department rules and acted recklessly…