San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón on Monday questioned the police raid of a journalist’s home earlier this month, saying he “can’t imagine a situation in which a search warrant would be appropriate.”

Officers executed search warrants at freelance videographer Bryan Carmody’s home and office on May 10 as part of their investigation into who in the department leaked a police report on the death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi.

The search has drawn rebukes from First Amendment groups and a growing number of city officials who have questioned whether police violated the law, including the state shield law that protects journalists from being compelled to reveal their sources and specifically prohibits searches.

“My office has not seen the warrant or the facts upon which it was based, but absent a showing that a journalist broke the law to obtain the information that police are looking for, I can’t imagine a situation in which a search warrant would be appropriate,” Gascón wrote on Twitter.

My office has not seen the warrant or the facts upon which it was based, but absent a showing that a journalist broke the law to obtain the information that police are looking for, I can’t imagine a situation in which a search warrant would be appropriate.https://t.co/B8k3VawoFL — George Gascón (@GeorgeGascon) May 20, 2019

He continued: “Even if there were such a showing, however, no search should have been conducted without the use of a special master. Journalists have multiple sources to whom they owe confidences, similar to an attorney who has multiple clients whom they owe attorney-client privilege.”

Even if there were such a showing, however, no search should have been conducted without the use of a special master. Journalists have multiple sources to whom they owe confidences, similar to an attorney who has multiple clients to whom they owe attorney-client privilege. — George Gascón (@GeorgeGascon) May 20, 2019

Special masters are court-appointed attorneys who assist in searches and determine whether the material falls within the scope of a warrant. They are often used when police search the records of attorneys, doctors or other professionals with privileged information, in order to protect the confidentiality of clients or patients.

Police have not said whether they used a special master when conducting the search.

“Seizing the entire haystack to find the needle risks violating the confidences Mr. Carmody owes to all his sources, not just the person who leaked the police report,” Gascón wrote.

Seizing the entire haystack to find the needle risks violating the confidences Mr. Carmody owes to all his sources, not just the person who leaked the police report. — George Gascón (@GeorgeGascon) May 20, 2019

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky