San Francisco police officer, robbery suspect injured in shootout after pursuit
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A San Francisco police officer was shot multiple times during a shootout with robbery suspects following an attempted traffic stop and chase late Sunday night, authorities said. One suspect was critically injured, and a second suspect, a 36-year-old man from Oakland, has been arrested and is facing 29 charges, including attempted murder.
The shooting occurred near Jerrold Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard, not far from Highway 101.
Police said Monday morning that the female officer underwent surgery and is expected to survive.
"Thankfully, she is expected to survive but still faces a long road to recovery," San Francisco Police Chief Derrick Lew said.
Law enforcement sources identified the wounded officer as Brittney Taylor. She has been with the department for nearly 10 years. She was recognized last year in a San Francisco Police Department Facebook post for saving someone's life in the South of Market neighborhood.
"She's an extremely popular officer who's known for her hard-nosed work ethic," Lew said.
According to police, officers were alerted at about 10:29 p.m. Sunday when a license plate reader flagged a vehicle linked to a robbery in the East Bay entering San Francisco via the Bay Bridge.
"We were alerted via an LPR hit, that a vehicle associated with a robbery that was perpetrated in East Bay came into our city and that's why we became involved," Lew said.
Officers located the vehicle near Fifth and Folsom streets, with two people inside. When officers attempted a traffic stop near Mission and First streets, the driver fled, leading officers on a pursuit through city streets, police said.
The vehicle later became disabled near Bayshore Boulevard and Jerrold Avenue. Authorities said the driver then opened fire on officers, striking one officer multiple times. Officers returned fire at the suspect vehicle.
A nearby gas station was left riddled with bullet holes from the exchange.
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Police said the driver fled on foot, while the passenger in the vehicle was injured during the shootout. Both the officer and the passenger were transported to a hospital.
The driver was later found near Bayshore Boulevard and Costa Street and taken into custody without incident, police said.
Mayor Daniel Lurie said he met with Taylor's family at the hospital Sunday and condemned the violence.
"We will not tolerate violence of any kind to anyone who would consider to San Francisco to commit a crime. The message is clear. We will find you and we will arrest you," Lurie said.
A police presence remained Monday at San Francisco General Hospital as the investigation continued. The San Francisco District Attorney's Office is involved in the case, and police said they plan to hold a town hall meeting within 10 days to discuss the incident.
