Jan 3, 2009 7:20 pm US/Pacific
SF Police Shoot Burglary Suspect
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / BCN) ―
Two San Francisco police officers shot a burglary suspect armed with a crowbar early Saturday morning after he allegedly charged at one of the officers when they confronted him, according to the Police Department.
A mother hid inside a bedroom closet with her daughter and called police around 2:30 a.m. because she heard someone ransacking her home in the unit block of Cortland Avenue, police Sgt. Wilfred Williams said.
One of the officers who responded found the suspect, who was wearing a black mask and gloves, in the house on the second floor and told him to drop the crowbar, Williams said.
During the conflict, another officer started walking up the stairs and was also telling the suspect to drop his weapon.
The suspect allegedly lunged at the officer walking up the stairs, causing them to tumble to the first floor, and the officer shot the suspect not knowing where the crowbar was, Williams said.
Another officer heard the gunshot, saw the suspect get up and raise an arm and shot the suspect again, Williams said.
"The officer is hearing the gunfire and not knowing who was shot, sees the suspect raise his arms and then fires at the suspect," he said.
Williams did not know in what manner the suspect was raising his arms.
The suspect was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with injuries that were not considered life threatening.
The officer who tumbled down the stairs with the suspect was also taken to the hospital and treated for subsequent wounds.
No other injuries were reported.
The two officers who shot the suspect have been placed on paid, administrative leave for at least 10 days.
Williams said he does not believe this incident is related to a recent slew of house robberies committed by men wearing ski masks in the Taraval, Ingelside and Bayview districts.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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