SF police officer found guilty of sexual battery after groping woman at bar

A jury has found a San Francisco police officer guilty of groping a woman at a bar in 2021, the District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.

Michael Herrera, 31, was found guilty of a sexual battery that occurred at a Marina District bar in the 2000 block of Lombard Street on Dec. 10, 2021.

The interaction began when the woman and her husband asked to share a booth with Herrera since the establishment was full. Herrera identified himself as a cop and shared pictures of himself and other officers. At the booth, the woman was seated next to Herrera and he grabbed her inner thigh, causing her to push his hand away and leave the table, prosecutors said. Then when the woman was paying her bill at the bar later, he again approached her, stroked her hair, and groped at her crotch. She screamed and called 911.

Herrera is currently out of custody pending sentencing set for May 8, according to prosecutors. He is facing up to a year in jail and he must register as a sex offender for ten years.

The District Attorney's Office said the San Francisco Police Department's investigative services division helped them put together a strong case against Herrera.