Car thefts and break-ins in San Francisco, Calif. have been on the rise, and here’s a scary situation where officers tried to put a stop to one, culminating in a potentially deadly situation:
Disturbing video shows auto burg suspect backing over plainclothes SFPD officer during bust Thurs near Alamo Square pic.twitter.com/7e4PRwTTQ8
— Evan Sernoffsky (@EvanSernoffsky) February 3, 2018
Just before noon on a Thursday in busy, touristy Alamo Square. Scary how brazen these crimes are getting. https://t.co/bhJweyddko
— Heather Knight (@hknightsf) February 3, 2018
Even though the driver was running over an officer (as well as one of the suspects), the SF police aren’t allowed to shoot during such encounters even if lives are in danger, and the police union is slamming that regulation:
SF police union says policy prohibiting officers from firing at vehicles "puts officers lives in danger" following video of Alamo Square attack https://t.co/c42IUF6Kif
— Evan Sernoffsky (@EvanSernoffsky) February 3, 2018
Gone in 5 seconds: SF neighborhood, police powerless against car break-ins.
See what @hknightsf
and @ScottStrazzante witnessed firsthand: https://t.co/0B1TzUD3pU pic.twitter.com/XpEjFrqzvo— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) February 2, 2018
From the SF Chronicle:
In December 2016, the San Francisco Police Commission approved a policy that prohibited police officers from opening fire at moving vehicles.
The commission unanimously approved the policy following a recommendation by the U.S. Department of Justice’s community-policing division, which began reviewing the department after several controversial police shootings, including the fatal shooting of Mario Woods in 2015.
The SF Police Officers’ Association president said the policy “must be changed.”
SF cops are under appreciated.
— Michael Lee (@The_Michael_Lee) February 3, 2018
These guys were considered “unarmed” and yet if the cops would have justifiably so shot the driver, they would have gotten killed by idiots on twitter. https://t.co/ynZ9uPtduL
— Common sense Carl (@be_smart_please) February 3, 2018