‘Shaken to the core’: SFPD officer shot multiple times in chaotic police chase

A police chase turned violent Sunday night in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood when an officer was shot multiple times and a suspect was shot by police. 

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The San Francisco Police Department received an alert just before 10:30 p.m. about a vehicle tied to a suspected robbery in the East Bay that entered San Francisco over the Bay Bridge, SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said in a news conference. The alert stemmed from an automatic license plate reader, he said. 

Officers found the car, which had two people inside, traveling near Fifth and Folsom streets, according to an SFPD news release. Authorities attempted to pull over the vehicle near Mission and First streets, but the suspects continued to evade police through the city. 

Eventually, the driver crashed the car near Bayshore Boulevard and Jerrold Avenue, Lew said. After the car stopped, the driver shot at the police, hitting one officer several times, according to the release. Police then shot at the passenger in the car, Lew said during the news conference.

Both were rushed to hospital, he said. He said the suspect who was shot is in critical condition at the hospital, and the officer is expected to survive but “faces a long road to recovery.”

Lew said officers were able to find the other suspect, who had run away, hiding near Jerrold Avenue. The suspect was taken into custody, and police found two firearms. 

Officials did not disclose details about the officer who was shot, but San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said he met with her family at the hospital late Sunday night. He also emphasized that public safety has been his “top priority since day one.”

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“The call they received is a family’s worst nightmare,” Lurie said during the news conference. “… We’re hoping for a speedy recovery.”

“We saw new and seasoned officers alike who were shaken to the core,” Lew said. “Violence against our officers is unacceptable and will never be tolerated in San Francisco.”

The shooting is an active investigation, and a town hall will be held within 10 days, Lew said. A separate investigation is being conducted by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.