A theft suspect was killed and two San Francisco Police officers were injured after they were run over by a motorist in the city’s Nob Hill neighborhood.
The officers responded at 7:36 a.m. Friday to a reported theft at a Trader Joe’s grocery store on California and Hyde streets, according to a statement by the police department. They attempted to make an arrest in the alleged theft, but the suspect ran away.
The officers followed and got into a physical altercation with the suspect that led to the three of them being on the ground in the roadway, according to graphic video of the incident posted on social media.
A Lexus SUV then proceeded to run all three of them over before coming to a stop. The video shows one person lying motionless in the street as one of the officers stands back up and bystanders gather around. The other officer was pinned under the vehicle, the police’s statement said.
“Firefighters removed the officer from under the vehicle while paramedics rendered aid and transported all three patients to the hospital,” the statement said. “Despite life-saving efforts, the initial theft suspect, who was struck by the vehicle, succumbed to his injuries and was declared deceased.”
Both officers were taken to a hospital, where they were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries as of Friday morning. The driver of the Lexus “remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation,” according to the statement.
The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. As of Saturday morning, authorities had yet to publicly release the names of the people involved in the incident or provide an update on the officers’ status or whether the driver had been arrested or charged.
The vehicle “was unrelated to the theft incident,” a representative of the police department told KTVU Fox 2 San Francisco. A reporter for the TV station said in a Friday broadcast that the station had learned that there was “not a lot of detail about the injuries” and that “the two officers, a rookie officer and a field training officer, are in stable condition being treated for their injuries.”
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie posted on social media about the incident Friday morning, saying that he had “spoken with both officers today” and that he is “wishing them a full and speedy recovery. Any loss of life is a tragedy. I am grateful to the first responders who acted quickly to render aid to everyone involved.”
The San Francisco Police Department said in its statement Friday that it was investigating the incident. It called on anyone who has relevant information to call the department at 1-415-575-4444 or text tips beginning with “SFPD” to TIP411. Tips can be made anonymously.
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