Man shot by police wielded knife, video shows
The man San Francisco police shot and injured on Market Street last week charged an officer while holding a knife in one hand and a frying pan in the other, according to police and body camera footage released Tuesday.
After police shot him with a beanbag gun and a firearm, the man, identified as 26yearold Antonio Estrada, struggled for another eight minutes before he was taken into custody.
During this time, Estrada attempted to get up, moaned and cursed at officers while still clutching a knife, the video shows. Officers repeatedly ordered him to drop his weapon and shot him again with deadly and lesslethal weapons before a sheriff’s deputy used a stun gun and Estrada was disarmed.
The videos, taken from several officers’ body cameras, were released Tuesday evening at a virtual town hall held by the San Francisco Police Department. Police identified the officers who fired their service weapons as Joseph Toomey and Ryan Thomson. Both are on paid administrative leave.
Prior to the confrontation with officers, Estrada is believed to have set fire to his apartment complex and engaged in a street fight involving a knife, a frying pan, a camping chair and umbrella. Police on Tuesday also released witness and security video footage and 911 calls connected to the prior incidents.
The information was intended to bring transparency to the shooting outside the Westfield San Francisco Centre on Nov. 17, Chief Bill Scott said, “and not in an effort to make final conclusions.”
Scott on Tuesday said Estrada, who was struck by at least one bullet, was still hospitalized and in lifethreatening condition. He has been arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, resisting a peace officer and arson of a structure.
Police on Tuesday said it’s unclear whether the men engaged in the altercation with Estrada prior to the police confrontation were attempting to disarm him of the knife and frying pan. Estrada was still armed when police arrived at 835 Market St. at 5: 12 p. m., police said.
Video footage shows Estrada walked from the street onto the sidewalk as one officer instructed him to “back up, back up.”
Estrada, whose face was blurred out in the video, was heard cursing and appeared to make stabbing motions as officers ordered him to “drop the knife.”
Police said the first officer fired beanbag projectiles, which had no effect on Estrada. Estrada then charged at the first officer before the second officer discharged his firearm, which caused Estrada to fall to the ground by the curb. Ultimately, two officers deployed lesslethal rounds including beanbag projectiles and foam baton projectiles, and two officers fired their service weapons.
The incident marked the third onduty shooting for San Francisco police this year. The first case, on April 21, involved a trespassing suspect who had barricaded himself inside a building and was reportedly swinging around a wooden board. The suspect was not struck.
In the second instance, 21yearold Fairfield resident Cesar Vargas was fatally shot on Oct. 10 after he was allegedly involved in an attempted carjacking and was seen on video rushing at an officer.
San Francisco police policy dictates that the department hold a public town hall within 10 days of a police shooting, and to also release the names of the officers involved within 10 days if there are no credible threats.
San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin on Monday charged a police officer with homicide in a use of force case. The action came nearly two years after rookie Officer Christopher Samayoa shot through a patrol cruiser window and struck 42yearold Keita O’Neil, who was suspected in a carjacking and was being chased by police.
Police said O’Neil was unarmed. Samayoa was charged with manslaughter, assault with a firearm, reckless discharge of a firearm and unlawful assault by a police officer.