Michael Barba
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@sfchronicle reporter. Beats: accountability & public safety. Find me on Signal: michaelbarba.42
Articles by Michael Barba
An SF candidate was shot. Her son was just charged with trying to kill the suspect
The son of a San Francisco supervisor candidate who has campaigned on her personal experience as a gun violence survivor was arrested and charged this month with attempting to shoot a man who had been accused in the attack on his mother, court records reveal.
An S.F. candidate was shot. Her son was just charged with trying to kill the suspect
The son of a San Francisco supervisor candidate who has campaigned on her personal experience as a gun violence survivor was arrested and charged this month with attempting to shoot a man who had been accused in the attack on his mother, court records reveal.
SF mayor Lurie blasted a message to voters about police oversight. It was wrong
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is promoting a November ballot measure that would allow him to unilaterally remove mayoral appointees whose performance he no longer supports from the Police Commission, diminishing the independence of a body tasked with disciplining officers. But that's not what he is telling voters about Proposition F. In a mailer circulated ahead of the Nov. 3 election, Lurie's "Clean Up City Hall" campaign made three promises in all-capital letters.
S.F. Mayor Lurie blasted a message to voters about police oversight. It was wrong
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is promoting a November ballot measure that would allow him to unilaterally remove mayoral appointees whose performance he no longer supports from the Police Commission, diminishing the independence of a body tasked with disciplining officers. But that’s not what he is telling voters about Proposition F. In a mailer circulated ahead of the Nov. 3 election, Lurie’s “Clean Up City Hall” campaign made three promises in all-capital letters.
S.F. housing nonprofit lands on city watch list amid allegations of ‘self-dealing’
An affordable housing nonprofit in San Francisco’s Mission District is at risk of losing city funding after it reported that an employee made unauthorized expenses and engaged in “self-dealing,” according to city monitors Mission Economic Development Agency, known as MEDA, received a letter this week from the controller’s office notifying the organization that it had been flagged as a nonprofit “at highest risk of financial instability or posing an exceptional risk to continuity of service...
Monster inside of him: New details emerge about retired SF sergeant who killed wife, daughter
The retired San Francisco police sergeant suspected of killing his wife and daughter before taking his own life in Marin County had remained with the department part-time and appears to have investigated new hires until a recent transfer, records show. Why Kevin Mannix was transferred Sept. 1 to SFPD's property division from the staff services division, which handles background investigations, is unclear, and department officials would not comment.
‘Monster inside of him’: New details emerge about retired S.F. sergeant who killed wife, daughter
The retired San Francisco police sergeant suspected of killing his wife and daughter before taking his own life in Marin County had remained with the department part-time and appears to have investigated new hires until a recent transfer, records show. Why Kevin Mannix was transferred Sept. 1 to SFPD’s property division from the staff services division, which handles background investigations, is unclear, and department officials would not comment.
Marin murder-suicide victim Ann Mannix remembered as SFPD pioneer: ‘She embraced the whole job'
Four decades ago, before she rose through the ranks of the San Francisco Police Department - becoming the first woman to join, then lead, the SWAT team - Ann Mannix worked as a manager at Toys "R" Us. One day, her older brother dropped in for a Christmas visit. Richard Corriea was an SFPD officer by then, the latest in a family whose service with the city force stretched back to the late 1800s. Ann Mannix had envisioned another path, dreaming in high school of becoming a trauma surgeon.
‘She embraced the whole job’
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Marin murder-suicide victim Ann Mannix remembered as SFPD pioneer: ‘She embraced the whole job’
Four decades ago, before she rose through the ranks of the San Francisco Police Department — becoming the first woman to join, then lead, the SWAT team — Ann Mannix worked as a manager at Toys “R” Us. One day, her older brother dropped in for a Christmas visit. Richard Corriea was an SFPD officer by then, the latest in a family whose service with the city force stretched back to the late 1800s. Ann Mannix had envisioned another path, dreaming in high school of becoming a trauma surgeon.
Former San Francisco police deputy chief killed by husband in Marin County shooting
A retired San Francisco police sergeant fatally shot his estranged wife, a former SFPD deputy chief, and their adult daughter before killing himself Sunday at their Marin County home, according to authorities. The Marin County Sheriff's Office identified the three as Kevin Mannix , 68, his wife, retired Deputy Chief Ann Mannix , 65, and their daughter, Katherine Elizabeth Mannix The department said Monday that its preliminary investigation indicates a suspected double-murder suicide.
Retired San Francisco police officers among 3 dead in Marin County shooting
Two retired San Francisco police officers were among three people found dead after a shooting inside a Marin County home Sunday evening, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation. Ann Mannix , who retired as a deputy chief in 2021, and her husband, Kevin Mannix , a retired police sergeant, were identified as two of the three people found dead at a residence on Strawberry Circle near Mill Valley.
Off-duty ICE agent arrested in Fresno, shot by man who feared for his safety
An off-duty federal immigration agent was arrested in Fresno on suspicion of felony assault after a man shot him out of fear "for the physical safety of both himself and his daughter," police said. The Fresno Police Department described a chaotic series of events early Friday that led to the arrest of 32-year-old David Gonzalez, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent from Texas.
Father suspected of killing his 2 kids, then himself, in Northern California
Mendocino County authorities are investigating the deaths of a father and his two children at a home near Ukiah as a double murder-suicide. The 44-year-old man is believed to have killed his 14-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son before taking his own life Friday morning at the residence on the 6800 block of Old River Road, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
Father suspected of killing his 2 kids, then himself, in Northern California
Mendocino County authorities are investigating the deaths of a father and his two children at a home near Ukiah as a double murder-suicide. The 44-year-old man is believed to have killed his 14-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son before taking his own life Friday morning at the residence on the 6800 block of Old River Road, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
Off-duty ICE agent arrested in Fresno, shot by man who feared for his safety
An off-duty federal immigration agent was arrested in Fresno on suspicion of felony assault after a man shot him out of fear “for the physical safety of both himself and his daughter,” police said. The Fresno Police Department described a chaotic series of events early Friday that led to the arrest of 32-year-old David Gonzalez, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent from Texas.
S.F. nonprofit HomeRise ignored conflict of interest as it issued hundreds of thousands in payments
Last August, Jared Parker fired off a text to his staff. He was just a few weeks into his tenure as a top executive at San Francisco’s HomeRise — the massive, publicly funded housing nonprofit that this week announced it would shut down amid a cascade of failures. Parker said he had learned about a company charging the nonprofit $5,900 to clean up a single unit. “This company is taking from us,” Parker, who had been named director of housing operations, wrote on Aug. 1, 2025.
Troubled S.F. housing nonprofit is shutting down amid investigation into deaths, financial dysfunction Original
One of San Francisco’s largest providers of services to the homeless is shutting down, an unprecedented failure of the city’s sprawling network of nonprofits. The closure of HomeRise, a housing provider that has received almost a quarter billion dollars in public funds over a recent four-year period, means city officials must transition operations and supportive services at 17 complexes for more than 1,500 residents to new providers.
San Francisco official dogged by allegations of impropriety is suspended
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San Francisco official dogged by allegations of impropriety is suspended
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to suspend and file administrative charges against the president of a law enforcement oversight panel after a city investigation found he broke the law and misused his position for personal gain. The 10-0 vote caps months of reporting by the Chronicle into William Palmer, the president of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board, that spurred calls for his removal and an investigation by the city’s anti-corruption czar.
As S.F. sticks with Flock cameras, mayor to put ‘tighter’ limits on license plate scans
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is responding to the rising backlash against Flock license plate readers that have agitated everyone from Tucker Carlson to the masked activists who recently crashed a board meeting of the local Democratic Party.
San Francisco supervisor seeks removal of city official after Chronicle investigation
San Francisco Supervisor Stephen Sherrill on Tuesday launched a process aimed at removing the chair of a law enforcement oversight board for misconduct after a city investigation found he broke the law and misused his position for personal gain.
San Francisco supervisor seeks removal of city official after Chronicle investigation
San Francisco Supervisor Stephen Sherrill on Tuesday launched a process aimed at removing the chair of a law enforcement oversight board for misconduct after a city investigation found he broke the law and misused his position for personal gain.
S.F. official who authored redemption story may be ousted after city probe finds misconduct
A San Francisco official accused by several women of violence and sexual misconduct committed “official misconduct” when he repeatedly misused his position and title for private gain, according to a city investigation released Friday that could lead to his ouster.
Ex-SF human rights chief directed nonprofit to hire sister, organization tells auditors
Former San Francisco Human Rights Commission Executive Director Sheryl Davis may have coordinated the hiring of her sister to run a city-funded youth program that her department failed to properly oversee, according to an audit released Wednesday.
Ex-S.F. human rights chief directed nonprofit to hire sister, organization tells auditors
Former San Francisco Human Rights Commission Executive Director Sheryl Davis may have coordinated the hiring of her sister to run a city-funded youth program that her department failed to properly oversee, according to an audit released Wednesday.
S.F. official, accused of violence, becomes Exhibit A as Lurie seeks power over appointees
Just as San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie was campaigning to make it easier to remove political appointees, along came William Palmer. Accused of violence by multiple women, the president of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board would nonetheless be difficult to unseat, city officials said. Now Palmer stands to be featured prominently in Lurie’s campaign to overhaul the City Charter through a series of ballot measures this November.
She says an S.F. official gave her drugs and coerced her into sex. He says he's her ‘life coach'
A young woman who wandered San Francisco during a mental health crisis said a city official picked her up off the street, brought her to his home, gave her drugs and coerced her into sex before police separated them days later and placed her in emergency psychiatric treatment.
She says an S.F. official gave her drugs and coerced her into sex. He says he’s her ‘life coach’
A young woman who wandered San Francisco during a mental health crisis said a city official picked her up off the street, brought her to his home, gave her drugs and coerced her into sex before police separated them days later and placed her in emergency psychiatric treatment.
Activist deli owner claims S.F. public defender blessed Hamas — without proof. She says it’s a smear campaign Original
A San Francisco deli owner and harsh critic of progressive drug enforcement policies said he accused a city public defender of anonymously tweeting “Godspeed to Hamas” because “one of her colleagues snitched,” while acknowledging he did not corroborate the information. “I’m not sure how anyone would know who an anonymous account would be.
Homeless man in critical condition after getting hit by SFPD recruitment officer
Follow Homeless man in critical condition after getting hit by SFPD recruitment officer Mon, July 20, 2026 at 9:28 PM UTC Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. A San Francisco police officer struck and injured a homeless man while driving in North Beach on Monday morning, leaving the person in critical condition.
Homeless man in critical condition after getting hit by SFPD recruitment officer
A San Francisco police officer struck and injured a homeless man while driving in North Beach on Monday morning, leaving the person in critical condition, according to the department and police sources. The officer was making a turn in an alleyway behind Central Station when he struck the man who was sitting or lying on the ground, the sources said.
S.F. Tenderloin apartment building evacuated as crews battle fire on multiple floors
Follow S.F. Tenderloin apartment building evacuated as crews battle fire on multiple floors Sun, July 19, 2026 at 9:04 PM UTC Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. San Francisco firefighters battled a blaze at a Tenderloin apartment building on Sunday afternoon. (Benjamin Fanjoy/S.F. Chronicle) San Francisco firefighters battled a blaze that spread across multiple floors of a six-story apartment building in the Tenderloin on Sunday afternoon, forcing evacuations.
Man fatally shot near Oakland's Lake Merritt
Follow Man fatally shot near Oakland's Lake Merritt Sun, July 19, 2026 at 8:33 PM UTC Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Oakland police chased a vehicle speeding away from a fatal shooting near Lake Merritt early Sunday but were unable to catch the driver. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle) A man was shot and killed early Sunday near Lake Merritt, prompting a police pursuit that ended without any arrests, according to Oakland police sources.
Upscale S.F. oyster bar closes as owner files for bankruptcy Original
Leo’s Oyster Bar, the opulent Financial District seafood restaurant and cocktail bar once hailed by the Chronicle’s restaurant critic as a “huge success,” has closed, according to its owner. With black and white tile floors and other decor reminiscent of a bygone era, the oyster bar at 568 Sacramento St. was opened in 2016 by San Francisco restaurateur Anna Weinberg and other business partners, including then-husband James Nicholas.
S.F. Tenderloin apartment building evacuated as crews battle fire on multiple floors
San Francisco firefighters were battling a blaze that spread across multiple floors of a six-story apartment building in the Tenderloin on Sunday afternoon. Several people were being evaluated for smoke inhalation, and the building was evacuated after firefighters responded to the fire around noon on Jones Street between Ellis and O’Farrell streets, according to the San Francisco Fire Department.
Man fatally shot near Oakland’s Lake Merritt
A man was shot and killed early Sunday near Lake Merritt, prompting a police pursuit that ended without any arrests, according to Oakland police sources. The victim, believed to be in his 30s, was found suffering from a gunshot wound around 2:50 a.m. on the 1400 block of Lakeside Drive, near 14th Street, after officers responded to ShotSpotter gunfire detection alerts, the sources said.
Second victim recovered in Volare sinking
Follow Second victim recovered in Volare sinking St. John Barned-Smith, Michael Barba Updated Thu, July 16, 2026 at 11:12 PM UTC Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Barracuda, top, sails past a recreational boat after searching for missing passengers from the Volare, a 49-foot cabin cruiser carrying 20 passengers that capsized in rough seas near Alcatraz Island on Wednesday.
Body pulled from water as SFPD searches for boat that sank near Alcatraz
San Francisco police officers recovered a body in the San Francisco Bay on Thursday while searching for a vessel that sank Tuesday with 20 people aboard. Police announced the recovery Thursday but have not confirmed whether the body belonged to a passenger of the Volare, the cabin cruiser that submerged Tuesday afternoon near Alcatraz. Officials previously confirmed that 79-year-old Clifford Boisa died in the incident, and three others were missing as of Thursday morning.
S.F. police provide update on efforts to locate wreck of Volare boat that went down near Alcatraz Original
San Francisco police on Thursday outlined plans to recover the 49-foot vessel that sank this week near Alcatraz, killing a 79-year-old Northern California man and leaving three others missing. The department said it was working with other agencies to find the sunken vessel, a cabin cruiser out of Stockton called the Volare.
‘All of a sudden the boat went over': The harrowing story of what happened aboard the Volare
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Megan Cassidy, Megan Fan Munce, Michael Barba, Anna Bauman, St. John Barned-Smith Three generations of the Boisa family set out from a San Francisco marina aboard the Volare, seeking to honor a woman who loved the bay. On the 49-foot cabin cruiser on Tuesday, 20 aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings and friends prepared to scatter the ashes of Maria Boisa, a nurse from Fremont who died by suicide at age 32 in 2015.
By Megan Cassidy, Megan Munce Verified, Michael Barba Verified, Anna Bauman Verified, John Barned-Smith
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‘All of a sudden the boat went over': The harrowing story of what happened aboard the Volare
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Three generations of the Boisa family set out from a San Francisco marina aboard the Volare, seeking to honor a woman who loved the bay. On the 49-foot cabin cruiser on Tuesday, 20 aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings and friends prepared to scatter the ashes of Maria Boisa, a nurse from Fremont who died by suicide at age 32 in 2015. They enjoyed a breezy and balmy morning, passing under the Golden Gate Bridge before stopping for the afternoon at Angel Island.
By Megan Cassidy, Megan Munce Verified, Michael Barba Verified, Anna Bauman Verified, John Barned-Smith
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Yahoo
Verified
‘All of a sudden the boat went over’: The harrowing story of what happened aboard the Volare
Three generations of the Boisa family set out from a San Francisco marina aboard the Volare, seeking to honor a woman who loved the bay. On the 49-foot cabin cruiser on Tuesday, 20 aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings and friends prepared to scatter the ashes of Maria Boisa, a nurse from Fremont who died by suicide at age 32 in 2015. They enjoyed a breezy and balmy morning, passing under the Golden Gate Bridge before stopping for the afternoon at Angel Island.
S.F. supe who accepted pricey portrait of himself gets $4,500 ethics fine
San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton has agreed to pay $4,500 in penalties after city ethics investigators found he illegally accepted an expensive gift painting of himself and voted on a lucrative contract for a nonprofit that had paid for his travel. The proposed settlement, made public Monday, was reached between Walton and the San Francisco Ethics Commission more than a year after the Chronicle first reported that Walton had received the portrait from the nonprofit Urban Ed Academy.
Contra Costa sheriff seeks homicide suspect in Bay Point killing Original
Contra Costa authorities late Friday afternoon were seeking a suspect who was wanted in connection with the killing of a person who was found unresponsive earlier in the day. The Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office circulated a photo of 35-year-old Avery Alexander Gibbs on social media, identifying him as the suspect in a homicide early Friday morning on an unspecified block of Olivia Lane in Bay Point.
Former S.F. manager ‘improperly steered' contracts to friend's company, audit finds
A former top manager at the San Francisco treasurer's office abused her authority and improperly steered contracts to a company that employed her friend in a high-ranking position while failing to disclose their relationship, a city audit found.
Former S.F. manager ‘improperly steered’ contracts to friend’s company, audit finds
A former top manager at the San Francisco treasurer’s office abused her authority and improperly steered contracts to a company that employed her friend in a high-ranking position while failing to disclose their relationship, a city audit found.
S.F. supervisor calls for probe into whether city official misused position for personal gain
Supervisor Stephen Sherrill on Monday urged San Francisco’s new inspector general to investigate a city official after the Chronicle revealed conduct that raised questions about his ethics and accusations that he used violence against women.
SFPD: Feds and others accessed license plate scans hundreds of times in ‘statewide issue'
Aidin Vaziri, Michael Barba Thu, June 18, 2026 at 4:11 AM UTC 5 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. San Francisco Police Chief Derrick Lew on June 1, 2026. The department said an audit found 299 improper searches of the city's Flock license plate reader network on behalf of federal and out-of-state agencies.
SFPD: Feds and others accessed license plate scans hundreds of times in ‘statewide issue’
San Francisco police said Wednesday that their license plate reader data was improperly searched nearly 300 times on behalf of federal and out-of-state law enforcement agencies, a disclosure likely to renew scrutiny of a surveillance tool that has expanded rapidly across California and the nation. Every day in San Francisco and across the Bay Area, thousands of cameras, many operated by Atlanta-based Flock Safety, capture license plates.
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