Notes Used During Presentation at the December 7th, 2017 Town Hall to Address the December 1st Officer Involved Shooting 17-179(a)

Synopsis:

December 1, 2017 at Approximately 1030 a.m.

Robbery/Carjacking/OIS:

• At approximately 10:30am, Dispatch received a call of a Robbery and Carjacking at 1800 23rd Street.
• The information from Dispatch and interviews of the victim indicate that the suspect, who was later identified as 42 year old Keita O’Neil, grabbed a set of keys from the victim that belonged to a California State Lottery van, pushed the victim down to the ground, started the van, and drove off with it.
• The van contained California Lottery Tickets being delivered to a local business in the area.
• The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the robbery.
• The information we received was that there was a second vehicle involved in the robbery described as a gold SUV with an unknown number of occupants. We believed this vehicle and its occupants were involved in the incident because it was at the scene of the robbery and Mr. O’Neil conversed with the occupants during the robbery.
• A short time later, Dispatch broadcast the description of the van and it was located by officers on Highway 101 caravanning with the Gold SUV.
• The vehicles exited the freeway, drove on city streets, and marked SFPD units attempted to stop the vehicles in the area of Gilman Avenue and Hawes Street.
• The gold SUV was stopped and the occupants were detained but the stolen van driven by O’Neil continued to flee. Near the intersection of Fitzgerald Avenue and Griffith Street, O’Neil slowed the van, opened the driver’s door, and exited the van.
• O’Neil then began to run towards the direction of the marked SFPD vehicle while the van he drove continued to roll forward, striking a fence.
• As O’Neil was next to the passenger side door of the police vehicle, the officer in the passenger seat fired his weapon at O’Neil from inside the police vehicle.
• O’Neil was struck by the gunfire.
• The officers exited their vehicle, saw O’Neil was injured, summoned medical aid, and began administering medical aid to O’Neil while waiting for an ambulance.
• O’Neil was transported to ZSFGH where he died from his injury.

Additional Information:

• The investigation into the involvement of the occupants of gold SUV with O’Neil, and their relationship to the robbery, is continuing.

Witness and Involved Member:

• At this time, the witness to the shooting is the officer who was driving the police vehicle.
• He has been interviewed regarding the incident.
• The involved member has also been interviewed regarding the incident.
• We are asking that anyone who may have witnessed the incident contact the Police Department.

Video:

• Both officers in the vehicle, the witness officer, and the officer that shot, were wearing their body worn cameras.
• The witness officer’s Body Worn Camera was not activated.
• The Body Worn Camera of the officer that shot was activated and captured the shooting.
• We have also located video evidence of the shooting from cameras located in the area.

Evidence:

• The evidence indicates that the officer fired one shot from his firearm.
• We did not locate any weapons at the scene belonging to O’Neil.

Investigation:

• Independent Investigations Bureau of the District Attorney’s Office, Department of Police Accountability were contacted, were at the scene, and 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
• Release of Officer’s name.
• The investigation is continuing and at this time we are not releasing the involved officers’ names.

To view the videos shown during the town hall meeting, use the links below:

• Surveillance Video
• Body Worn Camera Video