San Francisco police kill robbery suspect hiding in trunk of car

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco police investigating an armed robbery shot and killed a man who was hiding in the trunk of a car where a gun was later found, authorities said Wednesday.

The shooting occurred after two people flagged down officers to report the holdup Tuesday night in the city's Mission district, the police department said in a statement.

A short time later, officers pulled over a black Honda Civic matching the description of a vehicle involved in the robbery, and the driver complied when asked to get out, the department said.

Officers then saw the trunk was slightly open and a man was inside. Witnesses said police officers spent about 10 minutes urging the man to get out of the trunk.

In a bystander's cellphone video played by media, a woman speaking in Spanish through a bullhorn was heard asking the man to show officers his hands.

“Look, we will fire bullets at you,” the woman is heard saying before a single shot is fired.

“The other hand, show your other hand. We're going to fire another (round). Show your left hand. Show your left hand, mister,” the woman says before a volley of shots ring out.

Albert Balcazar, who lives on the street where the shooting happened, said officers talked to the suspect for at least 10 minutes before firing their weapons.

“They gave him a long time to get out,” Balcazar told reporters. “They wanted him to live. It just didn't work out that way.”

Officers gave medical aid to the man, but he died at the scene. The department said investigators found a handgun in the trunk.

Sgt. Michael Andraychak declined to provide other details, but said it's being investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies.

Andraychak also said the department declined to release video footage taken by officers' body-worn cameras.

“This just happened,” Andraychak said. “There is a lot of work to do before we will consider release of (body-worn camera video).”

Andraychak said the department often shows body-worn camera footage during town-hall style meetings with the community after fatal police shootings. Department policy requires a scheduling of such a meeting within 10 days of a shooting, though one hasn't been scheduled yet.

Last month, officers fired 65 bullets at a killing suspect holed up in a recreational vehicle after the man allegedly fired two shots at them. No one was injured.

The department has been trying to implement dozens of reforms recommended in a federal review of the department following the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Mario Woods in the city's Bayview neighborhood.

The shooting of Woods, a black man suspected in a stabbing, was caught on video and sparked protests that led to the resignation of Police Chief Greg Suhr.