SAN FRANCISCO—On October 3, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office disclosed that a conviction was secured against Russell Yoshida, 61 after a trial by jury for a domestic incident with a woman where he brandished a knife and struck a responding officer. Yoshida was convicted of brandishing a deadly weapon (PC 417(a)(1)) and resisting arrest (PC 148(a)).
According to testimony and other evidence presented at trial, on the evening of August 18, Yoshida yelled at the victim and threw her belongings on the floor. Then the defendant went into his room and came back out holding a nine-inch knife. When officers from the San Francisco Police Department arrived, Yoshida struck Officer Timothy Watts and resisted the officers’ attempts to place him under arrest.
The case against the defendant was prosecuted by Assistant District Charles Miller, with assistance from District Attorney Investigators Sammy Kim and Rosanna Figueroa, paralegals Loretta Luu and Lena Ku and IT support from Victor Liu, Ada Yu and Noaeh Pinaire. Victim Advocate Janet Pedroza worked closely with and provided support for the survivor through the pendency of this case.
“I want to thank the jury for their careful attention to the evidence and the law, and I also want to applaud the victim for her bravery,” said Assistant District Attorney Charles Miller. “This result would not have been possible without the hard work of the members of the San Francisco Police Department who worked on this case.”
Yoshida is currently out of custody. His sentencing is scheduled for October 30. Anyone who is in need of support should seek help. In an emergency call 9-1-1.
