SFPD: Gun Recovered Hours After Police Shooting

San Francisco's police chief announced Sunday afternoon that investigators had recovered the gun of a man killed in an officer-involved shooting the night before in the city's Bayview neighborhood.

The man had been detained by patrol officers conducting a fare inspection on a Municipal Transportation Agency light rail stop at Third Street and Palou Avenue at about 4:45 p.m., police Sgt. Michael Andraychak said.

The officers were stationed in the area as part of an increased police presence to respond to recent shootings in the neighborhood, Andraychak said.

The 19-year-old man ran from the officers and allegedly pulled out a handgun and shot at them as they chased him on foot, police said.

At least one of the officers returned fire and wounded the suspect.

He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:01 p.m., police said.

No officers or witnesses were injured in the shooting.

While making an appearance at the AIDS Walk in Golden Gate Park Sunday afternoon, SF Police Chief Greg Suhr told KTVU that investigators had succeeded in retrieving the victim’s gun late the night before.

As documented in a cell phone video of the shooting incident posted on YouTube, a witness to the shooting had retrieved the gun and ran off with it. Investigators tracked down the weapon several hours later.

“Due to the cooperation of the community, independent witnesses, and the incredible teamwork of the Bayview officers and the gang task force, we recovered the weapon at 10:30 last night,” Suhr said. “God bless the Bayview community members who had the courage to come forward and pretty much tell us the entire story.”

Suhr later said that SFPD’s relationship with the Bayview community has contributed to a 50 percent reduction in homicides in recent years.

At the scene of the shooting Sunday, protesters surrounded a memorial for the teenager and claimed the shooting was racially motivated.

“He used to cut hair, just got a barber college license to cut hair,” said one man at the memorial. “He was a good person you know, he just didn't pay his fare.”

Police said this wasn't true and the suspect had an extensive criminal record out of state.

Police have yet to release details about the man's record, but the Seattle police said Sunday night that the suspect was considered a person of interest in a south Seattle shooting on Wednesday that killed a 19-year old woman and injured three others.

San Francisco and Seattle police departments are now working together in the investigations.

Police patrolled the Third Street corridor Sunday with an additional 10 officers due to an increase in gun violence in the last three weeks.

Police said one of the officers involved was a senior member in the Bayview and didn't recognize the suspect.

The medical examiner expected to release the teenager's name on Monday.

Angered by the recent eruption of violence in the Bayview neighborhood, activists called for the formation of a civilian review board and an FBI investigation following Saturday's officer-involved shooting in the Bayview District.

Groups including the Idriss Stelley Foundation, SF Education Not Incarceration and the SF Bayview National Black Newspaper will gather Monday to issue a call for change in response to the shooting, said Mesha Irizarry, executive director of the Idriss Stelly Foundation.

The groups also want to see District Attorney George Gascon removed from the investigation, saying he has a conflict of interest since he was once chief of police, said Irizarry, who is also a member of San Francisco's marijuana oversight committee.

Supervisor Malia Cohen on Saturday issued a statement expressing sympathy for the family of the man killed and urging anyone with information to contact the police.

"I intend to review the results of the internal investigation from the police department to ensure department protocol was followed," Cohen said.