SAN FRANCISCO—An unidentified male suspect was in a standoff for multiple hours with San Francisco police officers in the South of Market area, today, October 7.
At approximately 2:40 p.m., California Highway Patrol officers pulled over a suspect driving a white vehicle on the corner of Dore Street and Bryant Street. According to SFPD Officers Vu Williams, the officer was questioning the suspect and taking down his information as the suspect sat on the curb of Dore Street.
Police say as the CHP officer was gathering information, the suspect leaped up and ran away from the officer when a computer check revealed that the vehicle, a white Toyota Highlander with no license plates, had allegedly been reported as a stolen vehicle.
The male suspect ran from the officer and began climbing over a fence, and eventually entered a three-story building located on the corner of 10th Street and Harrison.
Police and neighbors watched as the suspect appeared out of a slanted window; shirtless and barefoot, with his legs dangling out of the window sill. The suspect threatened to jump from the ledge.
A crowd began to gather at the intersection of Harrison and 10th Street to watch the incident, which led officers to block 10th Street.
Two SFPD officers then began climbing up the fire escape in an attempt to negotiate with the suspect and talk him out of jumping off the ledge.
Large foam mattresses and padding mats were brought out and set up beneath the window as a safety precaution. The standoff took place over the span of three and a half hours.
Officer Grace Gatpandan of the SFPD mentioned that the suspect was potentially in an altered state. The identity of the suspect has not been released.
The suspect eventually went inside the building and was taken into police custody at approximately 6:02 p.m.