The Central Valley man who police killed last week — while purportedly attempting to arrest him for an alleged hit-and-run in San Francisco — thought very highly of law enforcement, his social-media presence shows.
Pete Hodge, whose identity has been reported widely in the media but remains unconfirmed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, ran his own private security firm called Covert Guardian Solutions based in Lodi, in San Joaquin County.
Hodge and his company are licensed with the state Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. His company website advertises protection for high-profile individuals, as well as security and surveillance for businesses. On his social media, Hodge posted photos of a vehicle, labeled with Covert Guardian Solutions branding, outside both the Dior store and the nearby Louis Vuitton store in San Francisco.
Police believe that Hodge was working as a security guard outside the Dior store when officers approached him on Friday around 1:35 a.m. to arrest him for allegedly driving onto a sidewalk and running down three people with his car earlier on Thursday evening. Instead, for reasons that police have yet to explain, they ended up shooting and killing him.
Police said they identified the suspect from witness statements and video of the scene.
A representative at Dior on Monday declined to confirm whether Hodge was working for their store, or confirm what security companies it contracts with.
In addition to working in private security, Hodge wrote on social media that he was a police officer for six years, an army veteran, and also worked as a firefighter, EMT, and in other forms of private security for several years, though these jobs could not be independently confirmed. Hodge also said he received a law degree from the Drivon School of Law at Humphreys University in Stockton, and was an active commenter about police matters on local law-enforcement pages.
Hodge was also a gun-ownership advocate, making references on social media to his Second Amendment rights and calling the state “Commifornia,” apparently for its gun-compliance laws. He also made posts about the state of San Francisco, with one calling the city “San FranFeces” and another calling for the boycott of San Francisco and its sanctuary city laws.
On Thursday evening, police said Hodge allegedly drove an SUV near Kearny and Sutter streets onto the sidewalk, striking two teenagers in his path and hitting a man on an e-bike. Police believe Hodge was pursuing the man on the e-bike, though it is unclear why.
A purported witness posted on Reddit that they were driving a car near an SUV as the driver of the SUV was parallel parking, when an apparent delivery man on an e-bike attempted to weave between the two cars. The SUV driver clipped the cyclist, the witness wrote, and became “super aggressive,” demanding the cyclist’s “license and registration.”
Witness Cynthia Gaffney said in an interview on Monday that she was just crossing Sutter Street on Thursday when an SUV came hurtling around the corner from Kearny Street and onto the Sutter sidewalk.
“When he careened around the corner, he was totally out of control,” Gaffney said. “It was like he suddenly hit the gas at full speed … [he] might’ve rolled over with just a tiny bit more momentum.”
Gaffney said the man on the bicycle appeared to be a delivery driver, and that he fled into a Sutter Street parking garage after the collision, leaving his bike behind. The driver, who Gaffney described as tall and white, did not pursue the cyclist, and was gone by the time police arrived at the scene.
“The security guy opens up very calmly, opens the back of the trunk of the SUV,” Gaffney said, noting the man was dressed like a security guard and had a firearm strapped to his person. “There was just a weird calmness about it.”
Police officials said in a press conference on Friday that the man tried to put the bike into his car, but instead took other items left behind by the cyclist. About seven hours, later at 1:35 a.m., police tracked the SUV in question to the nearby Dior store at Grant Avenue and Post Street, where they came upon Hodge.
The SUV in question matches one in photos on Hodge’s company website. It appears that, at some point in the evening, Hodge may have changed his license plate: A witness of the SUV hit-and-run sent a photo with one license plate, while news footage of the SUV being towed hours later showed a different license plate.
Assistant Police Chief David Lazar said Friday that officers attempted to arrest Hodge, but ultimately ended up shooting him. Lazar could not say why the shooting occurred, or confirm whether Hodge was on duty, but said a gun he believed to be Hodge’s was recovered at the scene.
On Friday, the Dior store’s glass front was pierced with bullet holes, which were quickly covered up later in the day.
It is unclear which area of the army or which police department Hodge may have worked for, or for how long.
But on his Facebook page, Hodge, who lived in Lodi in San Joaquin County, was enthusiastic about policing, and regularly posted photos of police vehicles or badges from different jurisdictions.
In 2021, Hodge made the Stockton police badge — with a “thin blue line” across it — his profile picture on Facebook. He commented on the Lodi Police Department page for the rehiring of a police officer, apparently referring to an officer who was fired for violating a Covid-19 stay-at-home order. On a photo of a vehicle painted black and white like a police car with lights on top, Hodge commented about its legality, citing a California vehicle code.
Originally from Connecticut, Hodge studied Criminal Justice and Forensic Science at the University of New Haven, according to his online profiles. In addition to his law degree, his profiles state that he also received a master’s degree in legal studies from private nonprofit Humphreys University. As of publication, none of this information could be independently confirmed.
The police department is expected to hold a town hall meeting with more details about the incident within 10 days of the shooting.
He got killed by his brothers that apparently he admired..tough…the photo where he is getting out of the SUV looks like the 4 stooges playing cops on a Sunday afternoon..If he hated so much California, what was he doing here? shouldn’t he be around Mar A Lago? oh he needs the money, i see, probably tough in Lodi to make it.
There is a lot of road rage out there, there’s almost no traffic enforcement, a lot more firearms out there than ever before. We don’t socialize much, but are hooked on the outrage spewing from our phones. Yet I never in a million years would have expected this to happen.
It would seem Mr. Hodge steeped a bit deep in vigilante culture. Regardless, SFPD had the duty to implement a plan in which to communicate while employing time and distance.
He’s going to be boycotting San Francisco for a long time.
This guy is the epitome of the cop wannabe and I guarantee you that none of his bonafides are bonafide.
As for the bicyclist fleeing into a parking garage I’m guessing 450 Sutter.
Interesting background info on this guy. There is nothing in the state bar records on him, so if he attended this law school (I’d never heard of), he never passed the bar exam. So his law degree isn’t worth a whole lot, as further evidenced by his actions. We’ll see the police footage soon enough.
Why didn’t he just comply? /s
If he did nothing wrong he had nothing to fear! /s
Etc.
Man! So many “allegeds,” “purporteds,” on top of “have yet to explains.” Town hall should be. . .”interesting.”
Play stupid games … …… ……
Mr. Hodges needed to be schooled on how private security, particularly armed private security are treated by SFPD in San Francisco. SFPD turned it’s back on the retail community of the square and armed security standing guard creates a target from criminals and cops alike. This killing in the least should be thoroughly investigated by an outside agency and don’t trust what SFPD is saying.
Are you gonna follow up on this story? Body worn camera footage was released yesterday. What struck me was how many shots were fired. And the length of time that many offices kept firing. And the fact that the firing continued even after the threat was stopped. And that the firing only stopped when some started yelling “stop” and “cease fire.” There were a whole lot of shots to be accounted for. If you’re following up on this, please report on that aspect of things.
Anyone want to bet the “District Attorney” will not press charges against the cop? I understand it is a dilemma for her as the victim is not a progressive homeless mentally ill trans drug addict, still she has her priorities (whatever the POA wants the POA gets) and doesn’t want to stop the cops from doing their “job”.
Lol he wouldn’t have wanted charges to be pressed…
Based on what I saw in the body worn camera footage released yesterday, there are many officers that should be facing charges. Many officers continued firing long after there was no more threat. They only stopped after someone on scene yelled “STOP” several times and “CEASE FIRE.” It was disgusting to see. But the lack of coverage is also disgusting.
Let’s not forget that Mr. Rent a cop ran over two teenagers and used his car as deadly weapon against a delivery driver.
So quickly you jump to conclusions and name calling. You don’t know this person or the scenario except as reported. Nor did you verify his info. I know this person and I assure you the info reported is twisted. He holds all necessary permits to an exposed firearm, private patrol operator and Humphreys College has been around since 1896 with two locations. He took his job in the most professional way. Was he even aware of injuring anyone? I can’t imagine he’d drive off and park in front of the Dior shop, not exactly fleeing the scene. When was the last time you saw police approach a vehicle and open fire. Isn’t there usually a standoff while police check background etc, did he have earbuds in and not hear or realize the requests. They found a gun (legal permit) in the car, did not say he brandished a gun or fired at police. I find this whole situation extremely disturbing and am terribly saddened for his wife and family. How dare you refer to him as a rent-a-cop or a wannabe, you speak with ignorance and heartlessness.
wild
I do want to normalize asking bicyclists for their registration and proof of insurance…
Lodi is not in the central valley, neither is Stockton. The Central Valley is from Merced to Bakersfield. Those other locations are Bay Area and Sacramento adjacent, just like Tracy, Manteca and Galt.
Geographic references are often colloquial.
Sacramento adjacent? Wtf?
What a delightful holiday gift!
Keystone Cop shoots Rent-a-Cop wannabe real Cop right wingnut.