San Francisco police officer linked to racist texting scandal accused of robbing a bank

A San Francisco police officer who came under scrutiny in 2015 for his role in a racist and homophobic texting scandal in the department was charged Wednesday with robbing a bank.

Federal authorities say Rain Daugherty, 44, who is on unpaid leave from the San Francisco Police Department, robbed an East West Bank on Irving Street in San Francisco on Nov. 29.

Daugherty was identified by a bank teller and surveillance video, and later by San Francisco internal affairs officers, as the man who entered the bank wearing a plaid shirt and a baseball cap and handed a teller a note demanding $50 and $100 bills, according to an affidavit filed in federal court.

FBI agent Gary Grzymala wrote in the affidavit that “the robber said something to the effect of ‘Calm down, just do it’ ” to the teller. He fled with about $9,050 in cash.

Daugherty was arrested Tuesday and remains in custody. He is expected to appear in federal court for a detention hearing Friday. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Daugherty is one of nine present and former officers whose text messages were discovered by federal agents in 2012 during a corruption investigation of a department sergeant. The messages were made public in a court filing several years later.

In the messages, several officers referred to minorities as “savages,” used the N-word to refer to African Americans and suggested they be spayed like animals, and used an epithet for homosexuals. Other text messages insulted Filipinos and Mexicans.

Then-Chief of Police Gregory Suhr filed disciplinary charges with the police commission against several of the officers in 2015.

In response, Daugherty filed papers in superior court asking a judge to block the department from moving forward with his discipline. He argued the charges were filed after a one-year statute of limitations. A superior court judge granted his request, but the decision was overturned by a state appeals court in May.

Daugherty has been on unpaid leave from the department since July 24, according to a police spokesperson.

The San Francisco Police Officers Assn. released a statement this week saying that the union is “disgusted by the alleged criminal actions of one of our former members and a currently suspended member of the SFPD.”

“We are sworn to uphold the law and are dedicated to honorably serving all San Franciscans,” the statement read. “This individual should be held accountable for this shameful act he is accused of and if found guilty, through due process, he should face the appropriate consequences.”

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @Hannahnfry