San Francisco police fatally shot a man on Sunday after he trespassed onto clearly marked, restricted police property and pulled out what appeared to be a pistol but turned out to be an airsoft BB gun. The man was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, where he died shortly afterwards from his wounds.
The 32-year-old man had reportedly approached officers earlier in the day on 16th Street and asked them about what kind of weapons they carry, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Several hours later, the unidentified man showed up at the restricted-access parking lot of the police station at 613 Valencia Street and was asked to leave but refused. Finding this curious, the officers then approached him and told him he could not be there. The suspect then allegedly reached into his waistband and drew his weapon.
Two sergeants then reportedly fired their weapons at him and hit him a total of three times.
Tensions have mounted between officers and civilians following riots after grand jury decisions surrounding the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, among others. Two New York Police Department officers were assassinated last month in a killing apparently motivated in part by the issue.
Photo: File
Adelle Nazarian is on Twitter @AdelleNaz
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