San Francisco police fire at armed man near Powell Street station: source

SAN FRANCISCO - At least two San Francisco police officers fired their weapons Friday at a man they say was armed with a gun near the Powell Street station, a police source told KTVU. 

During a news conference, Police Chief Bill Scott said officers were out patrolling the area in the 400 block of Jessie Street at about 10:20 a.m. when they saw a man with a gun sitting in what later turned out to be a stolen car. The car was not moving, police said, without giving any more details. 

At that point, he said, the officers "formulated a plan to contain him." 

But the man got out of the car and ran away from the police for a couple of blocks, Scott said. 

That foot chase turned into an "officer-involved shooting," Scott said, when the armed man ran down the steps of the Powell Street station. 

Scott did not specifically say who shot who. 

The masked suspect, with his hand near his waistline, ignored officers’ repeated commands before walking right in front of Franky Francisco’s camera.

"It was crazy," said Francisco, who documents crime in the city on social media as FriscoLive415. "It’s a dangerous area around here man."

Francisco said he had no idea what he had just gotten himself into, coming within feet of the suspect.

"When he continued to walk straight towards me, that’s when I ducked out," Francisco told KTVU. "Retrospectively, too close for comfort."

When asked if an officer shot the man, police spokesperson Evan Sernoffsky answered: "That is under investigation." 

Scott did say that police recovered the firearm that the man had, and that police will have a virtual town hall within 10 days when additional details will be released. 

Cell phone video taken while the incident unfolded appears to show a man exiting a liquor store as officers surrounded him. The suspect then tries to make his way to the Powell Street BART Station. 

A cashier at the liquor store, who did not want to speak on camera, said as soon as he figured out what was happening, he bolted, leaving the man with the gun inside the store. 

Earl Jackson patrols the area for Urban Alchemy. He said he spotted the man after he ducked inside the store and eventually made his way out onto 5th Street. 

"I heard the officers commanding someone to get down," said Jackson. "To come out of the liquor store and to get down, and I observed who I believe to be the suspect crossing the street here, Stevenson, wearing a camouflage hoodie and a black mask. He wasn't running. He was walking casually, and the officers were in foot pursuit." 

"We cannot have an armed man walking around the streets of San Francisco," Scott said. 

The man survived the shooting. 

Firefighters said they found the armed man after he had walked a short distance from where he was shot. 

The man was taken to the hospital, where Scott said he was in "fair" condition. 

Street entertainer Winston Nichols, who has played the drums outside the Powell Street Station for years, is fed up with the violence.

"Being here downtown in the heart of the city [is] unacceptable," said Nichols.

"Innocent people, they come, they travel, and I don’t want them coming to the Bay Area, and they see this," said Lynisa Whatley.

Aerial footage showed police cars outside the Powell Street station, as well as an ambulance waiting outside. Video from inside the Powell Street station showed a heavy police presence. 

Police had also put up yellow crime scene tape on the escalators leading down to the station, where commuters typically go to pick up their buses and trains. 

As a result, the Powell Street BART station was closed because of the police activity.  

The station partially reopened at around 4 p.m. before the scene was completely cleared of emergency crews about two hours later, city officials said. 

District 11 Supervisor and mayoral candidate Ahsha Safai came to the BART station following the shooting. He said while the police were able prevent any bystanders from being killed or injured that this marked another black eye for the city. 

"We keep hearing crime is down but yet, within a two-week period, we have violent brazen crime happening in one of the most important shopping (areas) in the city, in Union Square," Safai said.

Mayor London Breed's office noted in their statement that officers were actively patrolling the area and came upon the man with the gun. The mayor's office said it's important for people to know that officers are active in the area and enforcing the city's laws. 

Francisco will keep on chasing crime with his camera, but plans to be more cautious moving forward.

"Getting shot, I’m not interested in that."

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