Oakland Woman Charged with Unprovoked Assault in San Francisco

An Oakland woman, Blazee, is facing felony assault charges following a shocking, unprovoked attack in San Francisco. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday afternoon, was captured on surveillance video and has since been widely circulated, causing a stir among local residents.

The video, posted to the neighborhood social networking app Nextdoor, shows the victim entering the Kansas Food Market in Potrero Hill. Shortly after, Blazee follows her into the store and begins striking her from behind with a bag containing a bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey. The assault escalates as Blazee pulls the victim’s hair and punches her repeatedly until she falls to the floor. The attack only stops when the store clerk intervenes, driving Blazee away.

San Francisco police quickly apprehended Blazee following the incident. She was formally charged with felony assault on Thursday and pleaded not guilty through her attorney, Jack Lamar Jr. Lamar expressed concerns about Blazee’s mental health, stating, "So, the next step in the process is, we do have some concerns about mental health. I don't know Ms. Blazee, she was having a difficult time explaining some of her background. So what we did was ask the court to do an in-custody assessment of her mental health condition."

In court, the prosecutor detailed the severity of the attack, noting that Blazee struck the victim at least ten times. The district attorney's office emphasized the broader implications of such incidents, stating, "It is random acts of violence like this that negatively impact a feeling of safety in communities."

Blazee’s defense attorney argued that the context of the incident might not be fully captured by the video. He pointed out that the bottle used in the assault was plastic, not glass, and mentioned that Blazee was wearing a hospital bracelet at the time, suggesting she may have recently been released from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, located just a few blocks from the store. "I think the video tells one part of the story," Lamar said. "But, this is a real person, with a real history and the video doesn't share what that history is."

The shopkeeper who intervened declined to speak on camera, but local residents expressed their surprise at the unprovoked attack. "I mean, it's a big city, right," said Bryan Sandt, a neighbor. "Stuff happens. But it is a little surprising. I think generally, this is a really safe neighborhood."

Blazee is scheduled to appear in court again at the end of the month. The judge has issued an order requiring her to stay away from both the victim and the convenience store if she is released from custody.