A San Francisco Police officer was attacked by an unidentified man that she stopped in Chinatown for questioning, prompting bystanders to assist the victim and scare the assailant away.
Unprovoked Attack
Video footage of the incident that was captured and shared online showed a female officer approaching a man standing on the sidewalk. She immediately tells him to turn around and place his hands on his head while questioning him.
However, the suspect quickly turned around and started beating the police officer, punching and pushing her away. The recording then showed four men rushing to assist the victim, yelling at him, hitting and pulling him as he continued to assault the officer.
Back up quickly arrived at the scene and arrested the suspect. “Witnesses came to the aid of the officer who was assaulted, but we are not confirming the number nor their actions and roles at this time, of which we are greatly appreciative,” San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Robert Rueca said on Sunday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Police identified the victim to be of Asian descent who was responding to reports of a man making threats at the 600 block Kearny Street near Portsmouth Square at around 6:45 p.m. while Rueca confirmed the incident with the officer was an assault, he said, “We are not confirming the suspect’s statements toward witnesses or the Asian female officer. Our investigation is looking at aspects of this assault on the officer which includes a possible hate crime and motive.”
