Oakland man says city worker assaulted him

Joshua Daniels, after the assault, in August 2013. Joshua Daniels, after the assault, in August 2013. Photo: Mathew Sumner, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Mathew Sumner, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Oakland man says city worker assaulted him 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

Oakland city officials and the Police Department are investigating a complaint that a city worker assaulted and severely beat a resident on Sunday just outside City Hall on Frank Ogawa Plaza.

The resident, 36-year-old Joshua Daniels, is recovering from a black eye and broken eye socket that required 10 stitches at Highland Hospital to close a wound that he said he suffered when a city worker, who was cleaning up the plaza, attacked him during a confrontation.

Daniels, a regular activist at Oakland City Council meetings and no stranger to many city officials, said the confrontation began about 8:30 a.m. as he was walking through the plaza and spit his gum into a trash bin that was being used by city workers.

"As soon as I did that, I heard this yelling behind me 'Hey, hey you just better get out of here,' " Daniels said.

Daniels said that he turned around and walked back toward the two men, who became increasingly angry.

"One of them started saying 'You don't belong here,' " Daniels said. "'If you don't get out of here, we're going to beat your ass.' " Daniels said he took out his iPhone and began recording the men.

"Truthfully, when I pulled out my phone and started filming, that's when it escalated," Daniels said. "I was trying to document city employees saying they were going to beat my ass."

Daniels said he filmed the confrontation for nearly two minutes before one of the workers - who was wearing his city uniform - swatted the phone from his hand, grabbed Daniels by his shirt collar and began punching him.

Daniels eventually fell to the ground, where the man continued to hit him, Daniels said.

"I heard this ringing, and I used to be a boxer in high school, so I knew I was about to pass out," Daniels said.

An hour later, Daniels said he woke up in a pool of blood on the floor of his nearby apartment, unsure how he had gotten home. His cell phone was missing.

"My assumption is that they have taken it, or at least destroyed it, knowing I had video on my phone," Daniels said.

A neighbor called police, and Daniels was transported to Highland.

Police and city authorities said they are investigating the incident, but declined to offer details.

"The city of Oakland is crazy, I know to expect violence, and that violence happens," Daniels said. "Never did I think I would have to protect myself against the public works guys blowing leaves on Frank Ogawa Plaza."

Oakland police assigned an investigator to the incident on Monday, said police Capt. Eric Lewis. The city has also launched an internal probe, said Kristine Schaff, a spokeswoman for the city's Public Works Agency.

"We take these kinds of accusations very seriously," Schaff said. "Our comment, from a public works perspective is that because it is an active investigation by police, that we are limited on what we can say."

Mayor Jean Quan, through a spokesman, said she could not comment until the investigation is complete.