San Francisco police officers arrested a man on Wednesday afternoon after he allegedly fired shots at sheriff’s deputies who were serving an eviction at his home. The SWAT team had engaged in an hours-long standoff with the suspect, who had barricaded himself inside the apartment building.
There were no injuries and officers had not fired any weapons, a sheriff’s department captain on site said.
Dozens of police officers flocked to the man’s residence at 30 Roosevelt Way, near Buena Vista Park and Corona Heights Park, blocking off streets to traffic and pedestrians in several directions.
Captain Alejandro Cabebe with the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office said that, at 10:45 a.m., deputies with the civil eviction unit were conducting an eviction when the suspect fired at them.
“The subject of the eviction fired multiple rounds of unknown caliber through the door,” Cabebe said. At 1:45 p.m., Cabebe said, “the subject of the eviction remains barricaded in the area.” He was arrested and walked out at 2:13 p.m., seen handcuffed in a white shirt and dark shorts, escorted by officers.
The suspect lived inside a multi-unit building, and other residents had been evacuated, Cabebe said. After the man was arrested, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto said the suspect was the only one in the unit at the time, but that multiple tenants resided in the apartment. Miyamoto said about seven shots had been fired.
Two to three sheriff deputies were conducting the eviction when fired upon, a police source added. The deputies had been trapped inside the building after serving the eviction.
San Francisco Police Department specialist and tactical trucks were on the scene near McKinley Elementary School, as well as at least one fire truck and an ambulance at 1 p.m. Officers in tactical gear were seen walking around the area, and a drone hovered over the house.
“It’s been, like, two or three hours,” said a worker at a Courtney’s Produce at 14th and Castro streets around 1:30 p.m.
“I didn’t hear anything, just saw a bunch of cop cars come here,” the employee said.
Police officers had encouraged community members to stay away from the immediate area. As of 1:30 p.m., children were inside the daycare at McKinley Elementary, but were free to leave if their parents wished.
Tenant sounds like a nice guy and awesome neighbor. I wonder what the city funded lawyers who likely defended this eviction at taxpayer cost feel about their client.
Jake, at least now this tenant won’t have to worry about where he is going to live for the next few years. He will have rent-free lodgings.
Don’t worry: a different set of city funded lawyers will be helping this ex-tenant avoid any consequences for their actions while a city funded program helps this person better integrate into in society by placing them in an apartment nearby. (Don’t ask about success rates.)
Tone deaf comment.
Their client has been taken advantage of. This is San Francisco. Need I write more?
Why does the police provide this private contract-enforcement service to landlords? Is there a fee for this service, or is a donation to the PAL sufficient?
Why does San Francisco give tenants government funded lawyers to enforce private lease contracts?