Police ID San Francisco cop who fatally shot woman in Bayview
SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) -- The police officer who fatally shot a woman in Bayview earlier this month, an incident which ultimately led to the resignation of former police Chief Greg Suhr, has been identified as a 15-year veteran of the force.
Police officials on Friday identified the officer as Sgt. Justin Erb, 45, who fired the fatal shot May 19 that killed Jessica Williams. The 29-year-old black woman was approached by officers who were investigating a report of stolen cars.
According to a report, Erb was hired in 2001 and promoted to sergeant 10 years later. He could not be reached for comment. It was not immediately clear if he had been placed on administrative duty while the department investigates the use of deadly force.
The shooting that led to the resignation of Suhr occurred before 10 a.m. on a Thursday. Sgt. Erb and another officer, who has not yet been publicly identified, were in the Bayview area looking for stolen cars and spotted a stolen vehicle on Elmira Street near Helena Street.
Williams was in the vehicle and drove away as officers were ordering her to stop. She crashed her vehicle into a truck less than 100 feet away, officials have previously said. The officers tried to pull the woman out, and at some point Erb fired one shot, striking her, according to Suhr, who spoke to reporters immediately after the incident.
A witness told police the woman was moving the car back and forth while they tried to pull her out. It remains unclear if she was armed or threatening officers during the incident.
The fatal police shooting occurred in the same neighborhood where San Francisco officers shot and killed Mario Woods in December, 2015 Woods was armed with a knife and witness video show him attempting to evade officers when they opened fire.
The fatal shooting of Williams prompted protests and eventually prompted Mayor Ed Lee to ask Suhr for his resignation. The mayor appointed Toney Chaplin, 47, a deputy chief as interim police chief while the city searched for a permanent replacement.
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