Investigators from several San Francisco agencies collect evidence after a SFPD undercover auto burglary operation ends with a police shooting. Jean Elle reports.
A suspect was hospitalized Friday afternoon after being shot by police during an auto burglary investigation in San Francisco.
The police shooting occurred while officers were conducting an investigation tied to an auto burglary suspect, San Francisco Police Public Information Officer Robert Rueca said.
The incident was reported at 12:48 p.m. at Varney Place, near 3rd Street and not far from Oracle Park, when officers in plain clothes encountered a known auto burglary suspect vehicle.
“We heard a loud gunshot popped off, we saw a couple people scattering, saw undercover cops running around looking for suspect,” said witness Chris Pree of San Francisco.
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Rueca said at least three suspects were in the vehicle when the police shooting occurred. Police in a late afternoon briefing would not provide details as to what prompted the shooting or how many shots were fired, but added one suspect was struck by gunfire.
“Any information regarding a weapon is all part of our investigation,” said Rueca.
The other two suspects drove off and are still outstanding, Rueca said. The suspect shot by police is described as a man, who was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to Rueca.
Officials earlier in the day sent out an emergency alert to avoid the area of Jack London Alley and Brannan Street due to the police activity.
Rueca said the shooting remains under investigation by several bureaus, including the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, the Independent Investigations Bureau and SFPD's Internal Affairs Department.
