Former KPIX producer Kevin Jones today won a restraining order against Omar Ward, a San Francisco man known online as “jj smith,” who has amassed a large following posting videos of people living in the streets and struggling with addiction.
The restraining order comes several months after incident in March in Oakland, when Ward shot video of Jones leaning against his minivan, scrolling through his phone. Ward posted the video online with a note stating that Ward felt like “having a little fun.”
Later that night, someone slashed the tires of Jones’ minivan and left a burnt sock in the gas valve.
Ward denied that he had done either of those things, but admitted to leaving a handwritten note on the dashboard of Jones’ minivan that night.
That was apparently enough for Superior Court Judge Maria Morga in Oakland who, according to Jones, described Ward’s note as “creepy” and ruled that Ward must remain at least 50 yards away from Jones for two years.
“I feel a lot better. I feel like I don’t have to be as protective of myself. It feels like a weight is off my shoulders,” said Jones, who called Ward a “serial harasser” for his intimidating online posts about — and real-life interactions with — people he disagrees with. “I feel free again.”
Beyond social media, Ward has also gained support and attention from the likes of conservative figures like Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, who praised Ward for “doing God’s work,” and gave him $1,000 for hospital bills. Ward is frequently called to comment on the state of San Francisco on Fox News.
Jones — who now hosts a podcast on Bay Area issues — and other progressives often trade online barbs with Ward about policing, homeless policy, and drug enforcement. But the online conflict spilled out into the real world when Ward filmed Jones in the street in March.
Jones is the second person to file a restraining order against Ward this year — and the first to succeed.
After leaving court today, Ward took to X (formerly Twitter), and made a post implying that he was disinclined to follow to the judge’s order.
“Can you believe I was just told in court by a judge I broke the law by filming someone in public,” Ward wrote. “I never listen to a judge growing up … I’m not gonna listen to a judge now.”
Reached by phone today, Ward refused to comment, saying, “Enjoy your day, please, bye bye.”
Ward has been instructed not to “harass, intimidate, molest, attack, strike, stalk, threaten, assault (sexually or otherwise), hit, abuse, destroy personal property of, or disturb the peace” of Jones for two years. He also must stay at least 50 yards away from Jones and his family.
Jones said he hoped the Oakland Police Department would press criminal charges after the alleged March incident, but said that he has not heard anything.
The Oakland Police Department wrote in a statement that it was “investigating a vandalism incident that occurred on March 1, 2025, in the 2300 block of Telegraph Avenue, at 6 p.m. Officers contacted the victim and learned that an individual used an object to vandalize the victim’s property before fleeing the area.”
Ward has consistently denied he vandalized Jones’ van. He has also said that he caught the real culprit on camera.
“Remember, I record everything, I mean everything,” Ward wrote to Mission Local in March. “So I recorded a video when the person was vandalizing his car so I totally have proof that I didn’t do it.”
Ward has declined to share the video, and subsequently told Mission Local he planned to sue Jones for “defamation of my character.”
Since Ward has an attention deficit disorder, Ward should move to Mar a Lago where he would find understanding people..he would probably end up in the administration, they are always looking to hire the “best”, the cream of the crop.
Wow. I am *shocked* that a right-wing provocateur is unable to grasp the complexities of its/it’s and there/their/they’re.
Folks, they’re not sending their best. How many village idiots does Garry Tan bankroll, anyhow?
Judging from the spelling on his handwritten note, I’m pretty sure what he said on the phone was, “Enjoy you’re [sic] day, please, buy buy [sic].”