Actor-Comedian Sues Bay Area County, Ex-Sheriff Over Claims Of Jail Assault

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — A Los Angeles-based comedian and actor filed a lawsuit Monday stating San Mateo County sheriff's deputies beat him, attempted to sexually assault him and restrained him in a chair with a bag over his head after his 2025 arrest at San Francisco International Airport.

Ahmed Aboubakr Ahmed, an Egyptian-American who performs as Ahmed Ahmed, filed the lawsuit in San Mateo County Superior Court against San Mateo County, the sheriff's office and the former sheriff. The complaint seeks damages for assault, battery, false imprisonment, sexual battery, negligence and civil rights violations.

The lawsuit stated Ahmed was returning from Thailand on Sept. 27, when flight delays caused him to miss a connecting flight at San Francisco International Airport. After a dispute with United Airlines employees over hotel accommodations, airport police arrested him following an employee's report that he was being disorderly.

The complaint stated that police arrested him without any investigation and that he did not resist the arrest.

The San Mateo County sheriff's office released a statement in response to the lawsuit.

Gretchen Spiker, an SMC Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, wrote in the statement that they were aware of the complaint and took the accusations seriously.

Spiker stated Ahmed was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility by an outside agency for public intoxication and that the Sheriff’s Office had no involvement in his arrest. She also claimed an internal review was conducted, and that evidence disputed Ahmed’s version of events.

"At no point was he intoxicated. Further, when the police arrested him at the airport, Plaintiff complied and did not resist arrest," the lawsuit stated.

Ahmed's lawyer wrote in the lawsuit that San Francisco police transported him to the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City, where he was attacked him while he was handcuffed.

"Upon arrival, about seven to nine SMCSD Sheriffs were waiting for him and immediately began assaulting and battering Mr. Ahmed while handcuffed, including sexual assault by touching him and trying to pull down his pants while laughing and high-fiving each other," the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuit stated deputies punched him in the head, ribs and jaw, causing a broken wrist and broken elbow. It also stated deputies tried to sexually assault him.

The lawsuit claimed deputies then moved Ahmed into a separate room, placed a bag over his head and strapped him into a restraint chair.

"Mr. Ahmed was then terrorized, and he genuinely believed that he was going to be killed," the complaint stated. "This belief began after the SMCSD Sheriffs' placed a bag over his head while he was seated and bound/restrained to a chair."

The filing stated Ahmed was denied water, counsel, the ability to use the bathroom and communication with anyone outside the jail while being held for about 21 hours. It stated he was released without charges.

The lawsuit also stated Ahmed repeatedly asked to contact an attorney or family members while restrained.

The filing stated Ahmed was later transferred to a holding cell and eventually released.

Once back in Los Angeles, he sought treatment at Southern California Hospital at Culver City, where doctors diagnosed a broken rib, broken wrist, broken elbow and other injuries, according to the lawsuit.

Christina Corpus is named as a defendant in the lawsuit because, the complaint stated, she was responsible for the management, supervision, training and retention of employees working within the sheriff's office.

Corpus was removed from office Oct. 14.

The lawsuit had not been tried in court.

Representatives for San Mateo County and the Sheriff's Office had not filed a response to the complaint as of Tuesday.