Notes Used During Presentation at the February 27, 2018 Town Hall to Address the February 17th 2018 Officer Involved Shooting 18-030(a)

Synopsis:

February 16, 2018 approximately 6:29 pm

• Uniformed officers from Park Station, responded to the area of Stanyan Street and Oak Street regarding gunshots heard in the area.
• The officers observed numerous citizens pointing inside the Panhandle Park
  • The officer located two victims suffering from what appeared to be gunshot wounds.
  • The officers requested medical assistance and began to administer first aid.
  • The medics arrived and pronounced one victim dead at the scene and transported the second victim to Zuckerberg ZSFGH for treatment.
  • A short time after the initial shooting officers on the 2000 block of Fell Street were flagged down by a carjacking victim. Through the course of the carjacking investigation it was determined that the suspect in the carjacking was also the suspect in the earlier homicide and shooting.
  • A department wide bulletin was issued identifying Joel Armstrong as both the suspect in the shooting and homicide as well as the carjacking.
  • On February 17, 2018 at approximately 12:13 am officers located the carjacking vehicle parked behind an RV near the intersection of Alameda and De Haro Streets.
  • Believing that the RV was occupied and that it may be connected to the carjacking vehicle and officer peered into a window of the RV and observed Mr. Armstrong in the RV.
  • The officers set up a perimeter and ordered the occupants out of the RV. Three occupants and a dog exited but Mr. Armstrong remained in the RV.
  • Mr. Armstrong was ordered out of the RV multiple times by officers but he did not comply with the orders.
  • The officers heard gunshots come from inside the RV and the officers fired at the RV occupied by Mr. Armstrong.
  • The officers then backed further away from the RV and continued to order Mr. Armstrong out of the RV.
  • Our Department’s Tactical Unit and hostage negotiators responded to the scene and attempted to contact Mr. Armstrong who remained in the RV. At approximately 2:15 am Mr. Armstrong exited the RV and was taken into custody.

Additional Information:

• No one was struck by gunfire during the incident.

Evidence:

• Preliminary evidence indicates that Mr. Armstrong fired two rounds from his weapon and that seven officers fired approximately 65 rounds from their department issued weapons.
• A 9mm firearm was located inside the RV and is pictured here today.

Video:

• Five of the seven officers that fired their weapons had their BWC activated and captured the incident. The remaining two officers activated their BWC after the shooting.

Witnesses:

• There are witnesses and officers that heard gunfire or witnessed portions of the shooting who have been interviewed, including the individuals that were in the RV.

Suspect:

• Joel Michael Armstrong, 31 year-old White male with no known address has been charged with: Murder, (8) counts of Attempted Murder, Carjacking, Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, discharge of a firearm, and receiving stolen property.

Involved Members:

• 7 officers fired their weapons.
• All have been interviewed
• Identified as
  • Glennon Griffin
  • Anthony Sharron
  • Robby Wilkom
  • Matthew Nazar
  • Gregory Buhagiar
  • Steven Oesterich
  • Christopher Cotter

Investigation:

• Independent Investigations Bureau of the District Attorney’s Office and the Department of Police Accountability are conducting their independent investigations.
• The SFPD’s Homicide unit is conducting the criminal investigation and the Department’s Internal Affairs unit is conducting the administrative investigation.

You may view the BWC videos below: