Off-duty officer arrested for gunfire in San Francisco hotel

An off-duty police officer was arrested after he allegedly fired a handgun several times inside an upscale hotel in downtown San Francisco, authorities said Monday.

The San Francisco police department spokesman Robert Rueca said officers responded to a call of a man shooting a gun in the upper floors of the Four Seasons hotel about 5 a.m. Sunday. Rueca said arriving officers spoke to the man, later identified as an off-duty officer, on the phone for about an hour before he surrendered and was arrested.

Rueca said no one was injured and there was minimal property damage, but guests were ordered to shelter in place until the man was arrested.

Rueca declined to identify the suspect. The officer’s attorney Harry Stern said he represents Richmond Police Sgt. Phillip Sanchez, who was arrested at the Four Seasons Sunday morning.

Stern said witness reports suggested that Sanchez suffered a “psychiatric incident.” Stern said Sanchez was crying and “bewildered” when the two met briefly Sunday.

“By all accounts, this incident is out of character for him,” Stern said.

Rueca said it doesn’t appear the man was targeting anyone, but it’s unclear why he opened fire. Rueca said a gun was recovered at the scene.

Stern said Sanchez was booked into the San Francisco jail Monday afternoon on suspicion of firing a gun in an occupied dwelling after spending the night in a hospital.

Richmond Police Lt. Felix Tan didn’t return a phone call Monday.

Richmond is about 18 miles (29 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco.