Two San Francisco police officers shot a burglary suspect armed
with a crowbar early Saturday morning after he allegedly charged at one of the
officers when they confronted him, according to the Police Department.
A mother hid inside a bedroom closet with her daughter and called
police around 2:30 a.m. because she heard someone ransacking her home in the
unit block of Cortland Avenue, police Sgt. Wilfred Williams said.
One of the officers who responded found the suspect, who was
wearing a black mask and gloves, in the house on the second floor and told
him to drop the crowbar, Williams said.
During the conflict, another officer started walking up the stairs
and was also telling the suspect to drop his weapon.
The suspect allegedly lunged at the officer walking up the stairs,
causing them to tumble to the first floor, and the officer shot the suspect
not knowing where the crowbar was, Williams said.
Another officer heard the gunshot, saw the suspect get up and
raise an arm and shot the suspect again, Williams said.
"The officer is hearing the gunfire and not knowing who was shot,
sees the suspect raise his arms and then fires at the suspect,'' he said.
Local
Williams did not know in what manner the suspect was raising his
arms.
The suspect was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with
injuries that were not considered life threatening.
The officer who tumbled down the stairs with the suspect was also
taken to the hospital and treated for subsequent wounds.
No other injuries were reported.
The two officers who shot the suspect have been placed on paid,
administrative leave for at least 10 days.
Williams said he does not believe this incident is related to a
recent slew of house robberies committed by men wearing ski masks in the
Taraval, Ingelside and Bayview districts.
