A police officer shot a man in the hip after he tried to escape arrest in the Garfield Park children’s playground this afternoon, two witnesses said.
According to witnesses who asked not to be identified, an SFPD car pulled up to the park at 3:20 in the afternoon. An officer emerged and tried to arrest a man — a resident of Bernal Dwellings, the housing project that directly faces the park.
According to Albie Esparza, a spokesman for SFPD, the suspect had been drinking with three other people. No one else was detained, he added.
The man resisted the arrest, and he and the officer began to exchange punches, a witness said. The officer pinned the man to the ground, but he managed to escape, at which point the officer shot him, the witness added.
Esparza said the injuries to both the officer and the man being arrested were non-life-threatening.
At 4:30 p.m., the south end of Garfield Park was closed off entirely, with a dozen police officers scattered around the scene taking photographs and video, and a crowd of curious onlookers watching them. A woman paced the periphery of the police line, crying and swearing at the officers, who did their best to ignore her. Witnesses identified her as the victim’s sister.
Why was he running? He should have stopped. Everyone knows that you can’t escape the biggest gang of all “the police”. Doesn’t he watch COPS?
I live down the block from this park. I can understand a police officer taking certain means to stop someone who has attacked him, but shooting is going way too far. Please, we already have enough violence in this area. I don’t care if the guy was drinking (not at all uncommon in the park), belligerent, or whatever. There are enough people using weapons around here, and we don’t need the police adding to the problem. Unless the guy had his own gun, there must have been another way to catch him. Plenty of people there seemed to know who he was, so I’m sure they could have found him even if he somehow (how?) managed to get out of their sight. In a way, I almost hope that we find out that he did in fact have a gun, to make this somehow justified. At least he is still alive.
to “G” indemnify your self cower! still Norteño what ever he was does not have the right to get shoot…and in a playground where there is kids playing…
Vc: thanks for the post. I live right down the street, and I agree wholeheartedly with you.
G and others: there’s no question that I’m not a fan of the people who get in knife fights on my corner, or break through my gate with a steel pipe (yes, it happened), or steal my car (yup, that too), or try to surround me and steal my bike- that happened in Oakland, but you get the idea. I’m also not a fan of the people responsible for shootings in this neighborhood. That includes the police. I don’t think anyone, including a norteno, should be shot. There’s no excuse. I’m glad he didn’t die.
@dpcclean @vc @robertkirsten
from what i know, the guy shot was a known norteno gang member.
does that change anything in your opinion.
if this gang member violently robbed your mother or wife for her purse, would you still feel the same way?
this is ridiculous. firing a weapon in a playground because a beer drinker is getting away? c’mon.
If you didn’t directly witness the incident – you’re just venting pre-conceived prejudices. Try and get the some facts.
I live across the street from this park and was home when the shooting happened. I think there is enough violence and insecurity in this neighborhood and it’s sickening and disconcerting that a cop has violated the safety of the community and contributed to the violence. People in SF are way too trigger happy, including cops.
As for the above comments, I grew up in the mission and have seen first hand countless times that when it comes to the police IT IS ALWAYS ABOUT RACE!!
And my heart goes out to any kids that were there.
@ dpclean : yes he was brown, and as for the rest.. When you see this article.. you see.. “BROWN & DRINK” and you automatically think it’s a THUG.. please.. And as for the cops.. The cop could’ve used his stick before a gun! this is ridiculous..
WOW I CANT BELIVE THIS HAPPEN. IVE SEEN PEOPLE DRINK AT GARFIELD AND NOT ONCE WAS SOMEONE STOPPED THE WAY HE WAS. SHOOT! IVE SEEN PEOPLE DRINK AND DOLORES PARK AND NOTHING HAPPENS AND NO ONE HAS EVER GOTTEN HURT, I THINK THIS IS COMPLETE B.S. I HOPE THE GUY AND THE OFFICER IS DOING OK AS WELL. MY HEART GOES OUT TO BOTH FAMILIES.
Oh please, don’t give me “is this guy brown” crap. I lived next to Garfield Park for years and was actually there today visiting my old apartment. There are always a crew of drunken Mexican homeless-ish guys hanging out there drinking and talking. They never get shot. They’ve been there for years. They were there today. In fact, one of them got beaten to death about 2 years ago in front of my house by a bunch of neighborhood little punks that lived at Bernal Dwellings (where this suspect was from).
Bernal Dwellings is a housing project and it is where San Francisco squeezes in a high concentration of poor black families. There are lots of little boys whose parents seem unable or unwilling to raise them, who hang out on the streets and think they’re all bad but are complete cowards. And they live in Bernal Dwellings. It does not surprise me that one of them got shot by the cops….Because they’re obviously stupid too….
In fact, I saw one of them today when I was there. He had a stupid look on his face and his little gritting face trying to look hard…
Hah, I would hardly call this guy a “victim.” He was a little thug who got busted-up by the police. That’s what happens when you play little thug games…. Lesson learned….
This is crazy, shooting someone for drinking in the park!!!! I’ve seen so many drunk people in Dolores Park who were not shot by the police. Was this guy brown??