San Francisco State University suspends investigation into assault, hostage-taking of Riley Gaines

The investigation into Riley Gaines’ hostage incident and assault last year, has reportedly been suspended by the San Francisco State University Police Department claiming the charges were "unfounded." 

In April of 2023, Gaines claimed she was assaulted and held hostage for ransom following a speech she gave at San Francisco State University for the college's Turning Point USA chapter about competing against male swimmer Lia Thomas. 

According to Gaines, after the speech, violent activists rushed into the room, turned off the lights, and assaulted her before holding her hostage. Gaines added that she was then barricaded in a room after the assault. 

She told Fox News that she recently followed up with the San Fransisco State University Police Department regarding the status of its investigation into the incident and was told in an email dated Feb. 2, "After a thorough investigation, the alleged charges in this case are unfounded and have been suspended pending further lead." 

The officer claimed that emails sent by the department to Gaines after the incident for “a case follow-up" went “unanswered."  

The officer also asked for "any photos and/or videos you may have in your possession as well as the contact information for anyone who was present that may have digital evidence," adding that Gaines should sent them “so that the case may be further investigated." 

Gaines told the outlet that following the event she had met with campus police and provided them with an official statement. "We talked for multiple hours. I told them over and over and over and over and over again what had happened, which, all the while, both of the officers that I was talking to were there, so it is not like they didn’t know what happened.” 

According to Gaines, one of the officers who saw the April incident was the one who informed her that the investigation had been suspended and that the emails sent to her were requests to meet again so that she could tell them her story "again." 

She told the outlet that campus police had said they would give her security footage to review but “never provided the footage."  

Gaines said, "These people turned the lights off, flickered the lights for a bit, which I imagine was done entirely strategically. I was confused and trying to make sense of what was happening."  

Gaines added that while she was being assaulted, a female officer spoke to her wearing all black and took her to a room where she was later barricaded. "I didn’t meet any police before the event, and she was totally unmarked, wearing all black, her face was in a mask, so she comes up to me and says ‘come with me, I’m the police’ and was grabbing me and pulling me.” 

"I didn’t believe that she was with the police because there really was no indication that she was, but I honestly didn’t really have a choice."  

Gaines continued that the activists outside the room where she was being trapped were "negotiating a price I had to pay each of them to leave to be able to make it home safe to see my family." 

She said the protestors made an agreement with her that she had to pay them each $10, but that is when the San Fransisco Police arrived and were able to escort her out of the building.