SF Officer Shot in Face Steps Outside Precinct
Monday, Dec 7, 2009 | Updated 6:36 AM PST
Several cops on leave
A San Francisco police officer was struck in the face by a bullet fragment right outside the door of the Sunnydale police substation Sunday afternoon.
Police said they had detained three people in connection to the case.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the officer was targeted or was caught in the crossfire.
Around 2 p.m., a police sergeant at the Sunnydale substation, located at the corner of Sunnydale Avenue and Hahn Street, heard gunshots, according to Officer Samson Chan.
The sergeant came outside to investigate, and "while he was outside, a round was fired towards him," Chan said. A bullet hit a metal gate protecting the police station's front door, and a fragment struck the sergeant in the face, he said.
Officers descended upon the neighborhood, near the city's southern boundary, to search for suspects. Police shut down the area for a short time, according to Chan.
Along with the three people detained, police also recovered a rifle believed to be used in the shooting.
Chan said it's not yet clear whether the shooting was gang-related.
Posted Sunday, Dec 6, 2009 - 7:40 PM PST
