An obvious threat to his life left a film crew without a choice but to back off as armed men robbed his $54, 000 worth of equipment.
The crew was shooting a commercial in San Francisco’s Marina District in broad daylight when he was approached by the suspects, the police reported.
According to the San Francisco Police Department’s Northern Station, the robbery occurred near the intersection of Toledo Way and Pierce Street at around 10:40 on Thursday morning.
The authorities are seeing two suspects for the crime who intimidated the film crew who was interviewing a blind woman.
The police report shows one of the suspects held the team at gunpoint and told them to stay away from the equipment.
Stolen from the victims were camera and audio gear, a backpack, a laptop, and a pair of headphones.
After the crime, the suspects ran away from the scene with one other accomplice.
They used a black Honda hatchback with paper license plates from Toyota Vallejo, authorities said.
The victims were left unharmed.
Considering that the crime was done in an easily-seen area under broad daylight, San Francisco officials have dubbed the robbery as a “bold” crime.
They were calling anyone to contact the police department if they have information that can help with the investigation. They may reach the authorities through the SFPD Tip Line at 415-575-4444.
The incident can also raise the alarm of safety in shooting films and commercials in San Francisco.
In 2017, robbers attacking a film crew have made a buzz after an incident in downtown Oakland.
According to reports, four members of a reality show have lost $500, 000 worth of equipment and personal belongings to robbers.
One of the victims Chris Burns described the robbery as “really, really scary” and the “most terrifying robbery” he has been involved in.
The robbers are very systematic, he added and were believed to have kept an eye on the victims.
Police were able to search the area but to no avail.
He said he had been shooting in Oakland before, assured of his safety. He did not expect that they would arrive at the point that they would be needing security personnel while shooting.
“This is the only time we were shooting at night,” he said.
The incident has made Burns and his team decide that they won’t film again in Oakland or to tag along with security officials when they film.
Robbers took away a Canon video camera and lenses, monitors, chargers, batteries, and one of the crew’s laptop and cellphone.
Few days after the incident, a man was reported to have forced his way through a KNTC news van.
Fortunately, he was driven away by a photographer who was at the back of the van.
Another news van owned by the NBC national news was broken by suspects on the same day. Locals tipped off authorities, leading to the recovery of some stolen items in the nearby establishment.
The series of these robberies have pushed local media stations to send security officials with reporters working in Oakland.
