Police shoot and kill armed man at San Francisco airport
SAN FRANCISCO CA Jan 21, 2022 — Police shot and killed a man who was allegedly armed and causing a disturbance at a train station near the San Francisco airport Thursday after he ignored their orders and continued advancing toward them, airport and police officials said.
Airport spokesman Doug Yakel said in a statement that the officers responded to reports of an armed person at the Bay Area Rapid Transit station near the airport’s international terminal and confirmed the man had two guns.
It is not clear what kind of gun or guns the man had or whether he was threatening others before police arrived.
San Francisco Police spokeswoman Officer Grace Gatpandan later said at a news conference the man “appeared to be armed with a handgun.”
When asked to clarify what kind of weapon the man was carrying, Gatpandan said that was still under investigation and that more information would be released within 10 days as is the department’s policy in officer-involved shootings.
The California Department of Justice will independently review the shooting, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced.
Yakel said in his statement that officers tried to de-escalate the situation but the man continued to demonstrate “threatening behavior,” and even though officers tried to neutralize the man with “non-lethal measures,” he kept advancing toward the officers.
Gatpandan said she couldn’t comment on the officers’ de-escalation tactics or how many officers fired their weapons due to the ongoing investigation.
Another person was treated for a minor injury at a hospital and released, Yakel said.
BART service to SFO was temporarily suspended and passengers were routed around the affected area.
Yakel said no flights were impacted by the fatal shooting.
