U.S. condemns consulate crash
California driver dies after car hits Chinese diplomatic office
SAN FRANCISCO — The White House on Tuesday condemned a crash at the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco where a man rammed a car into the lobby, creating a chaotic scene that ended with police shooting the driver, who later died at a hospital.
“We condemn this incident and all violence perpetrated against foreign diplomatic staff working in the United States,” White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said.
U.S. government officials have been in contact with Chinese foreign ministry officials since Monday’s incident, according to a White House official who was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Watson added that investigators believe the driver was “acting with malign intent.”
As of Tuesday morning, police had shared no additional details on the identity of the driver or how the incident unfolded. San Francisco police said Monday that they didn’t know why the unidentified driver smashed through the front of the consulate, which is in a residential neighborhood and next to a major street. In a statement, the Chinese Consulate general described it as a “violent attack.”
Police descended on the consulate shortly after 3 p.m. Monday in response to a report of a vehicle crashing into the building and urged people to avoid the area. Video from the scene showed a blue Honda sedan inside the lobby of the consulate’s visa office and people running to exit the building.
Officers entered the building, made contact with the suspect and opened fire, San Francisco police Sgt. Kathryn Winters said during a news conference. Despite “lifesaving efforts,” the suspect died at a hospital.
Police did not describe how the shooting unfolded, how many officers fired, or if the driver had a weapon. There were no reports of any injured people inside the building.
Tony Xin told KTVU-TV he saw that the driver had blood on his head and was holding two knives. Xin saw a security guard trying to detain the driver before he ran out of the building through the damaged doorway.
“I heard a really loud bang. I thought it was gunshots. I looked to the left and there was smoke,” Xin said. “I turned back and saw the guy take out a crossbow.”
Xin said that less than a minute after the driver got out of the car, five police officers arrived with their guns drawn and rushed into the building. He said they were later joined by more officers.
Another witness, Sergii Molchanov, told several news outlets that the driver was shouting about where to find the CCP, an abbreviation for the Chinese Communist Party. He said the man appeared to be grabbing something from his car before the confrontation with police.
Police are working with investigators from the U.S. State Department and the Chinese Consulate. The incident comes as San Francisco is preparing to host next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, a gathering of world leaders from Pacific Rim nations. President Joe Biden plans to attend, but it’s not clear if Chinese President Xi Jinping will come.