SF Police Chief: Officers used reasonable force on man who died while handcuffed

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - A man who died early Thursday morning in San Francisco's Marina District after allegedly fleeing a crash and then injuring two female police officers who attempted to detain him was speaking about God and acting violently during the incident, police Chief Greg Suhr said Thursday afternoon.

Suhr, who had just returned from this morning's funeral for Hayward police Sgt. Scott Lunger, who was slain during a traffic stop last week, said he is glad to report that both officers who were injured Thursday morning have been released from the hospital and are recovering.

The chief said that around 5:30 a.m., police received a 911 call reporting aggressive behavior by a motorist following a collision at Richardson Avenue and Francisco Street.

While en route to the scene, officers learned that a driver had rear-ended another driver.

Suhr said immediately after the crash, the driver of the rear-ended vehicle got out of his vehicle to discuss the crash with the other driver.

But when he approached the vehicle, the driver of the rear vehicle was "seated, transfixed, looking forward, hands on the steering wheel, the airbag had been deployed and he was speaking something about God, God's will, things about God," Suhr said.

The forward driver became scared and backed away. The rear driver then exited the vehicle and started going after the forward driver, Suhr said.

The rear-ended driver began to run away while the suspect, described as a roughly 250-pound, powerfully built man, likely in his 50s, "walked after him purposefully," Suhr said.

The rear-ended driver walked around the block while calling 911 and describing the man to a dispatcher, then returned to his vehicle and saw the suspect head east on Lombard Street.

Minutes later, two female police officers located the man about five blocks away from the crash, at Lombard and Pierce streets, and attempted to make contact with him.

Suhr said the suspect then struck one of the officers on her head and shoulders, knocking her to the ground and "nearly unconscious."

He then struck the other officer, injuring her knees, legs and wrist.

The suspect then attempted to enter an IHOP located at the intersection via an exit-only door. He began pounding on the door, but none of the restaurant employees would let him in, according to Suhr.

Additional officers responded and just outside the Surf Motel, a struggle ensued, he said.

The suspect was taken to the ground in handcuffs. He was breathing and talking to the officers while on the ground, but within minutes he went into distress and stopped breathing, according to Suhr.

Suhr said he didn't know what the man was saying to the officers, but that such information would come out during interviews with the officers.

Officers rendered CPR and first aid until paramedics took over and ultimately pronounced the man dead at the scene. The cause of his death has not been determined, police said.

Suhr said the suspect was unarmed and that police did not use their firearms, but that one of the female officers did deploy a collapsible baton.

Both female officers and all officers who had contact with the suspect will be placed on administrative leave during the investigation, per department protocol, Suhr said.

He said the names of the officers would likely be released to the public within a week.

Prince Tenefrancia, a server at the IHOP restaurant at 2299 Lombard St., said he saw emergency responders "trying to do CPR for a while."

The entire block of Lombard Street was blocked off this morning and employees at IHOP were asked to stay inside during the investigation, Tenefrancia said.

Suhr said the police encounter with the suspect at the Surf Motel was captured on video surveillance from a nearby building and said the footage shows that "the officers used a reasonable amount of force."

The San Francisco medical examiner's office has not released the name of the man who died, pending notification of his next of kin.

Suhr said the Police Department is waiting for the medical examiner to release the exact cause of death.

He said the decision to release the video footage of the incident will be up to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.