Source San Francisco Chronicle
The man who was shot and killed by police earlier this month in San Francisco fired a weapon at an officer while fleeing, footage released by police on Wednesday shows.
On July 21, just before midnight, San Francisco police fatally shot the armed man suspected of stealing a red-and-black scooter in the Tenderloin. Footage released by the San Francisco Police Department at a virtual town hall Wednesday showed the suspect firing back at an officer before the officer returned fire.
Alexander Antonio Lopez, the 28-year-old identified as the suspect, was pronounced dead at the hospital.
At the town hall, Chief Bill Scott called the incident resulting in Lopez's death "tragic."
"I'd like to express my deepest condolences to Lopez's surviving family members," Scott said.
Police responded to reports of an armed robbery near United Nations Plaza, in which the victim said a man with a gray pistol stole his scooter. Officers said they later found Lopez, who matched the suspect description and was in possession of the scooter, on Willow Street between Van Ness Avenue and Polk Street. He then ran west on Willow Street toward Van Ness Avenue, police said.
Body camera and surveillance camera footage provided on Wednesday shows a man who police identified as Lopez firing back once at an officer pursuing him after multiple commands to stop. The officer returned fire as Lopez pointed his gun a second time and Lopez fell to the ground, police said. Four gunshots were heard in the video.
Capt. Jason Sawyer of the department's northern station expressed gratitude that there were no additional injuries.
"The officers displayed incredible bravery under extreme circumstances and upheld the core tenets of what it takes to be a San Francisco police officer," Sawyer said at the town hall. "Please be patient and allow the necessary parties to complete their part."
The incident remains under investigation.
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